The beautiful woman returned, with a tray upon which were three cups, sugar, milk and a teapot, all with Marylebone Cricket Club logos. She put it on a small table she erected for the purpose and left. The pause gave Rita and Sue the opportunity not to answer the question. ‘The trouble,’ ventured Sue, stirring her tea, ‘is that sometimes we chance across some indicative piece of information that should rightly be dealt with by another service, but don’t quite have complete faith in the service in question.’

‘Especially when it’s something … enormous,’ added Rita.

Lofthouse looked between them. ‘You don’t trust the Met in general, because of the possibility of a strike.’

‘The certainty of one, about three to one in favour of illegal action,’ said Sue. ‘That’s how the vote will go today. But also because we have reason to believe that certain parts of it have started … not quite playing the game.’

‘But you do trust me?’

‘Because we know you’re honest, and you’re in charge of Quill’s team, and they did so well on the Losley case. Remarkably well. We remarked on it, didn’t we?’

‘We did,’ said Sue. ‘We noted it.’

‘What exactly do they do, by the way?’ Rita said it quickly, looking back to the pitch, as if it was the most trivial question in the world and she had an absolute right to know.

Well, that was one of Lofthouse’s questions answered. These two knew nothing about the Sight. She tried to keep the enjoyment out of her voice. ‘That’s an operational matter. Are you saying you know who our Ripper is?’

Sue laughed prettily. ‘In the same breath, you won’t give but you want to take! Tell me, what is it that you’re getting up to that your superiors, your husband and your office know nothing about? Where do you go when you leave home and take such care not to be followed? We’re sure there are no financial irregularities or you wouldn’t be here, but please tell me it isn’t just some dull affair.’ She took another sip from her cup. ‘Do you want to tell us about Quill’s team, or about that?’

Lofthouse stood up. She hoped she wasn’t shaking visibly. ‘I’ll be going now.’

There was a cheer from the crowd. A ball went whizzing up onto the roof of the stand above them and rolled down with an audible noise. Lofthouse looked back to Rita and Sue to see that they were at least bothering to feign being impressed. ‘Sit down, Superintendent,’ said Rita gently. ‘We’re only playing.’

Lofthouse, reluctantly, sat. She couldn’t afford not to take anything they had to offer. How did they know about her excursions? She had been so careful.