‘Here, as in Gablecross?’ Ward asks calmly, but Silas detects the subtlest shift in his boss’s tone.

‘He was seen in the car park,’ he says. ‘The day before the crash.’

Silas has now established an exact date: 13 February. Jake said he saw Rob when he was coming in for a chat about his book, a meeting that Silas had written in his diary.

‘Do we know who he was visiting?’ Ward asks.

‘No.’

Ward lets the word hang in the air. No need to say any more, point out the further lack of evidence. There was no record of Gilmour or Rob having signed in to visit the station. Silas checked earlier. He’s had enough.

‘The Major Crime Team in Truro is struggling, sir,’ he says. ‘Doesn’t think the death in Cornwall was drugs-related. I’d like to take the lead on the case.’

‘I know you would,’ Ward says. ‘Leave it with me. I’ll talk to the SIO down there, see what he wants. And I’d rather you don’t go troubling Rob unnecessarily. He’s proving a very good friend to Swindon.’

A very good friend to Swindon. What the hell does that mean? All Rob’s done is put on an art show in the local hospital. Silas is about to ask when Ward knocks the wind out of him with a parting question.

‘How’s Conor by the way?’ he asks, standing up to signal that the meeting is now at an end. ‘Heard he’s fallen in with the wrong crowd.’

‘He’s fine, thanks,’ Silas says, doubling up inside. ‘We’re getting him help.’

‘Glad to hear it. Wasn’t sure if it was just more hearsay. You know how gossip can spread around here – like wildfire.’

The bastard. How much more does he know about Conor? Silas walks out of his boss’s office, keen to put some distance between them.

81

Kate

‘The weekend results were truly exceptional, you know,’ Ajay says, glancing up at Kate from across the kitchen table. His manner is forced, as if he’s playing up for the cameras. ‘You’re almost back to how you were before the crash.’

Kate tries not to think too hard about the words he’s just written in his notebook. Ajay is attempting to act normally and she must do the same.

He can see and hear everything.

The whole apartment must be wired up with hidden microphones and cameras. Is it the same with the house in Cornwall? Has Rob been monitoring her every move? This isn’t about her security. Something else is going on.

‘I missed one,’ she says, recalling the rapid series of faces she was shown down in Cornwall. She spotted Jeff but Brucie got away.

‘It was a hard test,’ Ajay says. ‘No one’s ever spotted both.’