‘Get Jake on the phone,’ Silas says. He is driving into London as quickly as a blue light and endless roadworks will allow. Whose idea was it to make the M4 a ‘smart’ motorway? Ten minutes ago, Jake rang from London in a state, saying that Kate had just been bundled into a Tesla outside Rob’s flat in Shoreditch. He had the presence of mind to take down the number plate, which Silas recognised immediately as the car registered to Gilmour Martin.

‘Any luck?’ Jake asks as soon as the call connects.

‘Not yet,’ Silas says. ‘You sure you didn’t see Rob in the car?’

‘No. Just a driver and a woman,’ Jake says. ‘I also had a little chat with the shrink who’s been overseeing Kate’s recovery. Someone called Dr Ajay Varma. He came out of Rob’s flat shortly after Kate.’

Silas turns to Strover, who writes down Dr Varma’s name.

‘Varma says Kate’s heading for Brittany,’ Jake continues. ‘Rob’s been doing a lot of business over there, in Brest. Has a house on the coast.’

Jake gives more specific details of the location, which Strover also notes.

‘And you’re certain Kate didn’t look like she was going on holiday?’ Silas says.

‘Absolutely not.’ Jake pauses. ‘I thought you said that she would be safe with Rob last night.’

‘I did.’ Silas wonders how to phrase what he’s going to say next. ‘I’m just not sure that it was Rob she was with.’

It’s a long time before Jake speaks. ‘Who’s the car registered to? The one that took her away?’

Silas suspects Jake knows already. ‘Gilmour Martin. We’ve put an ANPR marker on the vehicle index and we’ll get checks on all ferries leaving Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth, as well as Eurostar and all major London airports. There’s only one direct flight a day to Brest Bretagne and that left Southend at seven o’clock this morning – but she might be going via Paris.’

Silas and Strover drive on in silence. He only uses the siren when he has to. If Kate’s being taken through the centre of London, they’ll soon get a hit on the Tesla, he’s sure of it. There’s ANPR everywhere, ever since Transport for London gave the Met access to its cameras for the low emission zone, congestion charge and traffic monitoring. Their priority is to secure Kate’s safety. And then find Rob. He could be in danger too, if Gilmour is serious about destroying him, taking over his life.

Twenty minutes later, the phone rings. Silas recognises the Nottingham number at once. It’s the detective who runs the local super-recogniser unit, the one he spoke to before.

‘You need to tell me who Gilmour Martin is,’ the detective says.