He could hear her saying to someone in the background, ‘I’d better take this. OK, if I hear anything from either of them I’ll let you know. Write it on that.’

Then she said, ‘Sorry about that. Good timing. There’s something I need to talk to you about.’

He said, ‘I haven’t got time for that. This is important.’

‘But, David—’

For Christ’s sake, why couldn’t she just keep quiet for once?

‘Just shut up and listen, Jo! You and Clare might be in danger.’ David could almost feel the silence at the end of the phone. ‘I’ve just been to see Beth Kinsella’s father. He’s’ – inexplicably he struggled for the words – ‘not very well. He’s in a nursing home. He gave me something Beth had left with him. A video. It seems to have been made by Beth. And it shows Paul Marshall paying money to Neil Fuller. Lots of money, Jo. Do you understand? Fuller’s taking bungs from Marshall. And now Beth is dead and so is Jack Tyler.’

Jo said, ‘Shit, David, Neil didn’t turn up to work this morning. Clare’s gone to look for him. She’s down there in Gloucester now.’

He felt sick. His hands were trembling so much he almost dropped the phone. No, no, no! This can’t be happening.

He swallowed hard. ‘Jo, I’ve just tried phoning Clare and all I’m getting is her voicemail.’

There was no reply. He thought he heard a car revving its engine in the background.

‘Jo, did you hear me? Do you understand?’

Jo could hear the sound of an engine starting. Shit!

She all but threw herself out of the Portakabin door. ‘I hear you, David. Loud and clear. But I’ve got to go.’

She flung herself in front of the hood of Stone’s Volvo.

He stuck his head out of his window and yelled, ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing? I could have killed you!’

Jo didn’t reply. Instead she ripped the passenger side door open and deposited herself in the front seat.

Stone asked, ‘Do you want to give me some sort of explanation about what’s going on here?’

‘No time. I’ll tell you while you’re driving. It’s Fuller. Clare’s in danger. We’ve got to get to her before she finds him. Just drive.’ She urged him forward with a wave of her arm.

For what seemed like the longest moment of Jo’s life, Stone just stared at her. Then suddenly, as if a switch had been thrown, he made his decision. Foot down, he left more turf on the road than in the field behind him.

His eyes were fixed laser-like on the road in front of him. ‘Now will you tell me where we’re going?’