As far as Silas can tell, most forces in Europe either have their own units already up and running or are in the process of establishing them. No surprise, given the continuing fallibility of facial-recognition software. In the past two weeks alone, colleagues from two cities in Germany have been in touch, asking Silas for advice.

He knows that there might not be any connection between the Dublin and Nottingham mispers and Kate. Each one might have been targeted independently by aggrieved local criminals. But the fact that all three are super recognisers – and the best performers in their unit – is hard to ignore. And Silas can’t shake off the feeling that the disappearances could be more coordinated, part of a pattern. A bigger picture.

‘Are you going to tell the boss?’ Strover asks.

‘Not yet. Ask your friend to search the Dark Web too. There might be some chatter around. And get onto forensics about that pub CCTV footage. We still don’t know who got hold of it or how. Or why they sent it to Jake.’

52

Kate

‘No, I can’t be certain,’ Kate says, walking down from the station towards the canal. ‘But it looked like him. Same eyes.’

It’s odd talking to DI Hart again about a ‘spot’ in the field. It used to part of her daily work. Only this time it’s personal, a possible sighting of Conor, Hart’s missing son. And if she’s right, it’s further evidence that her powers of recognition are returning. Technically it was also a ‘dirty spot’ – partial view, bad light. The hardest type.

‘And he was on the westbound platform, you say?’ Hart says.

‘In the waiting room on the opposite side from me – I was going to London.’

She’s already told him that she’s stopped off at the village because she needs to talk to Jake. He struggled to hide his surprise, didn’t buy into her casual tone, her acting as if the whole thing was planned. She’s surprised too.

‘Did he look depressed?’ Hart asks. ‘Suicidal?’

Oh God, it never crossed her mind. She hadn’t realised Conor was in such a bad way. ‘I couldn’t see,’ she says. ‘I’m sorry. He wasn’t near the edge or anything like that.’

‘I’ll take a look at the station cameras.’

‘Any news on the body?’ she asks.

‘Not yet. I’ll keep you posted.’

He pauses. She thought he might have more answers by now, an official explanation for the death of the man in Cornwall.

‘I’m sorry it was you who found him,’ he adds.