“Promote me to DCI then. Your old office is still empty, isn’t it?”

Banks smiled. “I would if I could. Believe me, whenever I get a chance I put a word in the right ears. But you’ve got to improve your chances by setting an example. As I said, even though I’m SIO on paper, you’ll be doing the job yourself if this Caxton thing goes as it should. It’s ‘delicate,’ therefore a little tact with your success would go a long way to convincing the brass you’re worth promoting, that you can handle the big time.”

A young girl delivered their meals. She couldn’t have been much older than the victim, Banks thought. They thanked her and made a start before getting back to their conversation. “How’s the veggie lasagne?” Banks asked.

“Probably a lot better than your curry-of-the-day.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Tastes all right to me.”

“What is it?”

“Dunno, really. Curry. Of the day. Anonymous.”

Annie poked his arm. “OK, I take your point about tact. But isn’t it exactly because of that attitude you’re expressing that this grooming business got out of hand to start with? Being ‘delicate’? Treating everyone except the victims with kid gloves? Coppers and social workers so frightened of offending any ethnic or cultural group that they can’t do their jobs properly? Victims so convinced they won’t be believed that they don’t even bother to report crimes?”

“That’s a part of it,” Banks said. “Along with the breakdown of the family unit, overcrowded housing, immigration policy, Margaret Thatcher, the death of God, Cameron, the drug culture and the sexual revolution. Might as well throw UKIP in there, too.”

“Well, we have to throw them somewhere. But aren’t we going down the same path? Not the UKIP path, but like the others, too touchy-feely and inclusive and diverse to do anything?”

“Not if we can help it. I’m just saying we’re going to have to tread carefully. We can’t go shouting out to all and sundry that three British Pakistanis are responsible for everything that happened to that girl. The rape, yes, but we can’t be sure about the murder. I’m not saying what they did is minor, or that they should get off lightly, but don’t lose sight of the fact that we’re after three rapists and one killer here, whatever their color, and though I’d guess the killer knows who the rapists are, they don’t necessarily know who he is. And we don’t know what ethnic group he belongs to. You’re right. It shouldn’t matter. Only that we know he’s a killer.”

“You don’t really think the girl went along with the three men willingly?”