‘You mean beside her naked strangled body?’ Jack snapped.

  Ridley sighed. ‘I understand why you’re angry. But I am trying to explain.’

  ‘OK, so, tell me, what did they find in your fucking car?’

  Ridley slowly pulled off his woollen hat, revealing his bare scalp with just a few tufts of hair. The skin looked raw and scabbed.

  ‘Jesus Christ!’ Jack exclaimed.

  As Ridley drank the rest of his whisky, Jack could see how drawn and drained his face was with dark shadows beneath his red-rimmed eyes.

  ‘I was barely alive when they found me, Jack. I’d had convulsions for two days, hardly being able to breathe, pissing and shitting myself, constantly vomiting. The only reason they reckoned I’d survived was because of my chemotherapy sessions, and the fact I’d spent so long in the shower, trying to get to my feet. By the time they got to me they had already found Lorna’s body, and my car had been towed for examination by the forensic team.’

  ‘You keep on referring to “they”. Who exactly are “they”?’

  ‘Well, at first it was just the Essex officers, as they were first to find my abandoned car, but they were replaced very quickly by the special agents.’

  ‘So, they were the ones at your house when I called round to see you?’

  ‘Yes, and more came later. Let me explain. You remember the poisoning of the Skripals using a nerve agent. The Government accused Russia of attempted murder, announcing punitive measures that included the expulsion of numerous Russian diplomats.’

  ‘What the hell’s that got to do with your situation?’ Jack demanded curtly.

  ‘I just need to explain that because Novichok is a binary chemical, which means it uses two or more ingredients that are either non-toxic or less toxic on their own, and only become active when mixed, it makes it easier to store and transport. It also makes it harder to detect. However, careless preparation can produce a non-optimal agent, with less deadly effects, and that’s what happened in my situation. It’s also the reason certain other assassination attempts have failed over the years.’

  Jack was finding it hard to keep his anger under control. Early on he had suggested that perhaps Ridley had been poisoned. He had even mentioned the Skripals’ case and the use of Novichok, and Ridley had denied it. Before he could confront him about it, Ridley continued.

  ‘They had failed, using it on Lorna, so then they strangled her. The reason the PM didn’t discover any obvious signs of substance, or injection sites, is because it’s odourless, and can be deadly when inhaled, ingested, or simply by coming into contact with the skin. No more than one and a half minutes to kill you.’

  ‘Jesus Christ, I don’t know whether I can believe what you’re telling me.’

  ‘Please, let me explain. On the night we were to meet, it was bitterly cold, and I was wearing gloves. Thankfully when the forensic team eventually got to work on the car, they were all wearing forensic suits and masks, so they were protected.

  ‘They discovered a minuscule residue of Novichok on my steering wheel. When that was confirmed, as you can imagine, all hell broke loose. By this time I had already got you involved, but they assured me that because the mixture that had been used was non-lethal, you were in no danger. At the same time, they began to monitor you. I had been medically protected inside a bubble supplying me with oxygen and heart monitors as they stripped down my house for any other substance. They didn’t find anything, and I also had good security cameras, so anyone seen entering my house would have been caught. However, if what had happened to me had gone public, there would have been mass hysteria, hence the covert nature of the operation.’

  Jack sat in total shock, shaking his head at the level of danger Ridley had exposed him to, as well as his wife and child.

  ‘Jack, please believe me, before you met with me, I knew nothing about the Novichok. But we were getting nowhere on identifying Lorna Elliot, so I took a gamble and brought you in. I meant it when I said I have never known another detective with your abilities. And my faith in you proved justified. As soon as we knew who she was, and with what you found in the Pimlico flat, everything moved very fast.’

  Jack shook his head wearily, then proffered the bottle of whisky to Ridley. Again, Ridley’s hand shook as he held out his empty glass for a refill.

  ‘Did you ever suspect that Lorna was lying to you?’ Jack asked.

  Ridley shook his head. ‘No, and even if she was just using me at the start, I believe at the end she did have genuine feelings for me. But that last phone call was probably the only time I really heard her being honest. I had a gut feeling something was wrong: everything was different, the tone of her voice, her anxiety level. She must have suspected they were onto her, but I just thought she wanted to end the relationship. I loved her, Jack.’ He sighed deeply. ‘I’m glad I have been able to spend this time with you and tell you the truth. At times you’ve felt like a son to me, Jack, and I’ve hated deceiving you.’

  Jack decided that it was time for Ridley to leave. He had heard enough and he just wanted him out of his sight. He was just about to encourage him to do so when Ridley nodded to the stack of files and, after a brief hesitation, Jack told him about the Rodney Middleton case. He kept it as brief as he could, though he deliberately didn’t play down his own part in bringing it all to a head. Ridley was a good listener, never interrupting, as Jack explained how the case had turned into a real horror story with an as yet unknown number of young girls murdered. Once he had started, he found he couldn’t stop, showing Ridley the photographs, explaining the forensic evidence and detailing the incredible lengths to which the teams had gone to accumulate all the evidence, finishing up with his account of Amanda Dunn’s interview.

  Ridley nodded thoughtfully. ‘Very impressive, Jack. But the question is: will it be enough?’

  *

  Maggie had dressed and gone in to see Hannah and Penny. They had all crept down the stairs so as not to disturb Jack in his office. They had some tea and sandwiches and as it was now Hannah’s bedtime, they went back upstairs to bathe her and read stories.

  It was now almost 9.30 p.m. and Maggie was standing outside Jack’s office door. She could hear Jack talking, so she went back downstairs to put the bouquet of roses into a vase.

  She thought about offering them coffee and sandwiches but decided against it. Instead, she went and washed her hair, put some rollers in, and ran a bath with some perfumed oils. She lay in the warm scented water, thinking of their afternoon of lovemaking and smiling contentedly. But after a while she started to worry about why Ridley was still there and what they were talking about. After she’d got out of the bath, they still seemed to be at it, so she got into bed and picked up a novel she had been attempting to read for months, but after a few pages she fell asleep.

  *

  Jack was listening intently to Ridley’s advice on how to handle Rodney Middleton.

  Ridley impressed on Jack that he was dealing with a very intelligent psychopath, and it was going to be up to Jack to find a crack in his egotistical, narcissistic defences.

  Ridley glanced through a file, then tapped it with his index finger.

  ‘Use this; come out of left field with it. He won’t be expecting it. He is being questioned about the three victims you have identified through their DNA; bring this up when he is least expecting it and then use his reaction. I believe this is the key.’

  Ridley paused and went back to Jack’s notebook. He took a pen and underlined some of Jack’s handwritten notes.

  Jack waited until he was finished. ‘Going back to the beginning, can I ask you why you wanted me to double check the Rodney Middleton case in the first place. That’s what started the whole ball rolling.’

  Ridley nodded. ‘I had an off the record talk with a probation officer that I’d been told was handling Middleton. I’d been on good terms with her on another couple of cases, and she suggested I talk to a psychiatrist who had treated him. He was very helpful and thankfully not too worried about patient confidentiality. He told me he was going away for a lengthy well-earned break and would be uncontactable. Perhaps that’s why he opened up.’

  ‘Dr Donaldson? Is that who you’re talking about?’ Jack asked.

  ‘Yes, but, as I said, it was off the record and so I didn’t write it up, but I would have mentioned it to you, given the opportunity.’

  Ridley hesitated a moment before he continuing.

  ‘Donaldson said that in his estimation, there was a real darkness deep inside Rodney Middleton, buried beneath a carefully constructed outer layer. Whatever had caused it, had to have occurred at a very young age. The little child, found hanging: you used that in the interview with Amanda. I’d use the same tactic with Rodney. It’s possible that both of them are child killers and that’s what unites them. They have killed and got away with it.’

  Maggie woke up and saw that it was after midnight. She could still hear voices, but it sounded as though they were going downstairs. She sat up and was relieved to hear Jack laughing.

  Ridley had waited until he was being shown out before pausing to use his mobile to order an Uber. Jack looked surprised and said that he had assumed Ridley was driving. Ridley smiled.

  ‘I did drive here, Jack, but I need to get a cab to take me home because these are yours.’ He held up a set of car keys.

  ‘It’s not a Mercedes, I’m afraid, but hopefully you won’t be disappointed. It’s the new electric four-door Tesla saloon, insured and in your name. You don’t need to know how I got it for you; just call it a thank you from an old friend.’

  Jack took the keys and went outside to inspect it whilst they waited for the Uber to arrive. He knew it would take a bit of explaining to Maggie, but as he sat at the steering wheel, he couldn’t help grinning like a schoolboy. The interior even smelt amazing. Ridley sat in the passenger seat and looked on with an almost fatherly expression.

  Jack turned to him. ‘Tell me one thing, sir. You know you said you had the house under surveillance. Did they use gas works vehicles as their cover?’

  Ridley laughed. ‘Hell, no. We had officers in the house opposite, and one in a house at the rear. You have very accommodating neighbours. They thought it was something to do with the council. By the way, we also knew about your mother’s friend; we had him checked out, seems to be a very decent, hardworking chap.’

  Jack was still speechless when Ridley’s Uber drew up. Ridley got out and walked to the car, moving slowly like an old man, and then bending painfully to get into the back. Ridley waved briefly, and then they were gone. Jack knew then that he might never see Ridley again, suspecting that his mention of going to the Caribbean was yet another lie. He was obviously a very sick man.

  Maggie had been standing at the window, watching them. By the time Jack came back to the bedroom she was sitting up in bed.

  ‘I have something to tell you,’ he said, smiling.

  ‘I know, it’s that amazing car outside! Ridley let you have it as he’s going abroad, right?’

  Jack laughed, pulling off his t-shirt.

  ‘You, my beloved, are always right. It’s fully insured and it’s ours; well, until he wants it back.’

  Jack went into the bathroom to clean his teeth.

  ‘He made one major proviso about the car – no learner drivers. So Penny will have to learn in yours, I’m afraid.’ He closed the bathroom door and sighed, relieved that he wouldn’t have to tell any lies about the car. He then stared at his reflection in the wash basin mirror.

  He felt a deep sadness, thinking that he’d perhaps seen the last of Ridley. Ridley was the only person he had respected and loved as much as his adopted father, and in his own way he had become a father substitute. He had been best man at his wedding, godfather to their daughter. But Ridley had told him so many lies that even when the truth had emerged, the trust had gone for good. Jack knew their relationship was over and a hard lesson had been learned: never to put so much trust in another person again.

  Tears started trickling down his cheeks and he quickly splashed cold water over his face and patted it dry. He needed to stop thinking about Ridley and focus on what he had to do. Jack had all of tomorrow to prepare for Monday. Then he would be ready to take on the devil and attempt to get inside Rodney Middleton’s twisted psyche.

  Jack switched off the bathroom light and went to get in bed beside Maggie. He lay next to her warm, beautiful body, which moved closer into the curve of his own. Just by being with her the sadness about Ridley lifted, and with her love entwined with his own, he was no longer alone.

  He shut his eyes and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Waking early, Jack quickly dressed and collected the things he needed to work on from his home office. He was just getting ready to leave, standing in the hall writing a note for Maggie, when Penny came down the stairs in her dressing gown.

  ‘You’re up early,’ she said.

  ‘I know. I’m going into the station. I didn’t want to wake Maggie so she can have a Sunday lie-in. Will you tell her I should be home around noon? I just have to get a few things sorted for Monday.’

  ‘Have you had breakfast?’

  ‘No, I’ll grab something from the canteen.’

  ‘Did you do what you said you were going to do?’ she asked.

  He looked puzzled. ‘What?’

  ‘Book a table for you two to have a dinner together.’

  ‘Not yet, but I’m on it. I’ll maybe get it together when I get back today.’

  ‘Do you want me to do it for you?’

  ‘No, no, I’ve not thought where she’d like to go yet.’

  Jack was gone before Penny could ask anything else, eager to drive the Tesla, and then get what he needed done quickly so he could return home.

  He sat in the car with the manual beside him and started the engine. It was so quiet that for a minute he didn’t think it was turned on. He then drove very slowly and nervously down the road. Gradually he gained confidence and picked up speed, enjoying his luxurious new wheels. It was certainly a big improvement on the pea-green Micra.

  Carefully parking in one of the allocated bays at the station, he got out and then stood back to admire the car. Hendricks wheeled his motorbike past him and stopped.

  ‘Wow, that is some car, Jack. It’s a Tesla, isn’t it? It’s beautiful, but I always wonder if there are enough recharging points. Is it yours?’

  ‘No, belongs to the wife; she’s a surgeon. But I’m allowed to drive it at the weekends.’

  Hendricks moved off as Jack took another admiring glance at the car before heading into the station. The canteen was half empty and he was able to get a fry-up and coffee with two rounds of toast. As he was eating it at one of the empty tables, Laura stopped by with an armful of Sunday newspapers.

  ‘Have you read these?’

  ‘No, I left before the papers were delivered.’

  ‘Well, the cat is well and truly out of the bag. The DCI was throwing a fit a minute ago. The headline is “Teenage Killers” and they’ve already got interviews with Mrs Delaney, the bloody caretaker, and . . .’

  ‘Just give me the papers, Laura.’

  ‘Here you are. The Sun and the Mail on Sunday, plus the Sunday Times and the Sunday Telegraph . . .’

  Jack took the papers from her as she went to the counter to order her breakfast. He quickly skimmed through the articles. It was the usual sensational, speculative stuff.

  He tossed the papers aside. He felt an added pressure on him to get a result with Rodney Middleton, knowing that DCI Clarke would not be able to hold out on giving a press conference for much longer. Laura came back with a coffee and a toasted bacon sandwich.

  ‘Hendricks said you’re driving an amazing car.’

  ‘Yep, it’s the wife’s, a brand-new Tesla.’

  ‘Gosh, they cost a fortune. Hendricks said they’re about seventy grand.’

  ‘It’s just on lease for her to try out. But it’s definitely a step up from the green goblin car I was driving around in.’

  He was unsure why he was lying about the car being Maggie’s, but as Hendricks was already gossiping about it, he thought it best to try and shut them up.

  Jack finished his breakfast, then went to his desk in the incident room with all the newspapers. He made a list of priorities for the team, then wrote on the incident crime board who he wanted in the boardroom. By 9 a.m. he was sitting waiting as Laura, Sara and Leon came in, then lastly Hendricks, carrying a coffee and toasted sandwich.

  ‘Right, I’m going to be asking you to help me prepare for Monday. First, which one of you was asked to check out the mobile that Amanda Dunn got hold of in the supposed safe house?’

  Sara held up her hand, taking out her notebook.

  ‘I was there yesterday. Everyone denied they had allowed her to use their mobiles but eventually it came down to two possible people. One was the night staff nurse who said that her phone was always locked in her locker and Amanda could not have had access to it.’

  Jack pointedly looked at his watch, and Sara flushed as she continued.

  ‘Sorry, it’s just that I wanted you to know that I had a bit of a run-around. Anyway, the day nurse wasn’t on duty, so I had to go to her home in Surbiton. She denied it but was very nervous, and eventually told me that she had been preparing to leave, and had her coat and bag with her, when Amanda asked about her family. She told me that she opened her bag and showed Amanda photographs of her two toddlers on her phone. She said that she was certain that she had put the phone back in her bag but had been distracted for a few moments as the replacement officer was late . . .’

  ‘For Christ’s sake, get to the point, Sara.’

  ‘Well, when she got home, she realised that she didn’t have her phone and she immediately called the safe house. They told her they searched Amanda’s room and found the phone beneath her bed. This was the evening before she came into the station for her interview.’

  ‘I hope there’s a point to this story,’ he said through gritted teeth.