That done, I was finally beginning to feel on a more even keel, at least dealing with the car was something I had a chance of remedying. The work situation was a different prospect entirely. I bounded up the front steps and headed inside to freshen up.

It was amazing how great food, fine wine and sparkling dinner conversation could lift a mood. Unfortunately, one of the topics du jour related to work. Uncle Phil had a turn talking with the detectives today, along with most of his unit, which shared the same building as the Pharmacy Department and Rose-Marie’s sixth-floor lab. Social and Preventive Medicine was on the ground floor and he’d recognised her face from the photos as he’d seen her waiting for the lifts and recalled saying hi on occasion. He said she was very polite and seemed to work long hours. A view shared by everyone, it would seem. He hadn’t been able to enlighten the detectives much more than that. He’d have been saved the bother if the interview had been this afternoon. Things were off in a new direction now.

There was the usual crap on offer on the television, more than thirty channels to choose from and nothing to watch. We didn’t do reality TV. I failed to see the fascination in watching wannabe celebrities eating things that were bound to give you a dose of the shits or nightmares for the rest of your life. Besides, that sort of programme made me feel so embarrassed on their behalf I wanted to hide behind the sofa cushions. So by unanimous vote, we opted for a DVD. Maggie and I had been given the task of choosing, so here we were, privileged to be in Uncle Phil’s study, sorting through the crammed shelves that housed his rather extensive DVD collection.

‘What about some vintage James Bond?’ Maggie asked as she leaned over and pulled out what looked like the entire set in a boxed collection. ‘Here we go, Sean Connery when he was young and hot.’

‘Or we could have Sean Connery when he was old and hot, Phil’s got Rising Sun here.’

‘Oh, yes, Wesley Snipes, yummy.’

Uncle Phil’s DVD collection was indeed impressive. As well as a penchant for James Bond, The Saint and The Avengers, it looked like he had the full collection of CSI, Criminal Intent, Law and Order as well as the British series Waking the Dead, Silent Witness and others. Despite knowing those type of programmes never reflected the reality of policing, they entertained, so I would have to raid those at a later date. Well, the British ones anyway.