Maggie heaped more fried rice onto her plate, as well as some beef noodles. ‘So, what’s the problem?’

  ‘It’s just my gut feeling, Maggie, that something isn’t right. He seems to have been able to use mental health issues to avoid a custodial sentence for his previous assaults, but as far as I can see, none of the psychiatrists running around after him can work out what’s wrong with him.’

  ‘If you’ve not interviewed him, how can you be sure there’s more to the whole thing than meets the eye?’

  ‘I’m not!’ Jack said abruptly.

  Maggie had never seen Jack so frazzled. ‘So why are you digging around?’

  ‘It’s just a gut feeling. I think he’s a very dangerous individual.’

  Maggie began to clear away the empty cartons, tipping the leftovers into the food waste bucket. Jack remained sitting at the table finishing his wine, then poured the last of the bottle into his glass.

  Maggie went over and put her arms around him.

  ‘Why don’t I run you a nice hot bath? Then we can have an early night together. I recall you making me a promise this morning . . .’

  Jack barely reacted, and Maggie quickly withdrew her arms and went back to clearing the kitchen.

  ‘There’s something else . . .’ he said, quietly.

  ‘If you want to talk through the case with me, go ahead, I’m all ears,’ Maggie said.

  ‘No, it’s not that. This morning I left early because I had agreed to meet Ridley.’

  Maggie turned expectantly.

  ‘I gave him my word that I wouldn’t mention it to anyone, but I think I need to tell you, Mags. I might have agreed to do something that I’m not sure I can.’

  Maggie stopped what she was doing with a look of concern. She could see Jack was clearly weighed down by something.

  ‘You know you can always trust me, Jack. It’s not as if I would repeat anything to anyone connected to your work. Talk to me. Come on, let’s go and sit in the lounge.’

  She took him by the hand and led him to the sofa. She turned on a small table lamp, then fetched a bottle of brandy and two glasses. He sat morosely, head bowed.

  Maggie poured them both a large brandy, then put the glasses on the coffee table in front of them and sat down beside him. She was exhausted but was determined not to show it. She had never seen Jack so perplexed, almost childlike.

  ‘He called me late last night,’ Jack began, ‘and asked me to meet him this morning. He chose this odd location by a Kingston steamboat rental place.’

  Jack sipped his brandy and leant forwards, as if distancing himself from Maggie.

  ‘Go on, Jack, tell me why Ridley wanted to see you?’

  He took his time, slowly repeating everything Ridley had told him, then as he finished, he started to get emotional.

  ‘He bowed his head, Mags, and said, “Help me”.’

  Maggie took hold of his hand.

  ‘Well, I think you’re the best person he could have asked to help him . . . but I have one important question.’

  Jack nodded, threading his fingers through hers.

  ‘Do you believe he’s innocent?’

  Jack didn’t hesitate. ‘Yes, I do. It has to be a set up.’

  ‘Then try, as best as you can, to prove it. If you want my advice, I’d try and find out who the victim is, first. She’s at the heart of it.’

  Jack kissed her fingers, then cupped her face in his hands.

  ‘Have I told you lately how much I love you?’

  Maggie laughed and drew him to his feet. ‘You have, but tonight, as promised, you can prove it.’

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Maggie and Jack were both deeply asleep. They had experienced what could only be described as very satisfying sex, twice. After checking on Hannah, Jack had returned to get back into bed beside his wife. He had woken again at almost two o’clock and heard Penny arriving home. He thought it was very late but fell back to sleep almost immediately, for the first time not even thinking about work.

  The alarm clock woke them both at seven o’clock. Maggie had to get to the hospital, and that gave Jack a good hour before he needed to go into the station. When he went downstairs, Maggie was in the kitchen making scrambled eggs and already had a fresh pot of coffee made. He went up to give her a hug and a kiss, whispering in her ear to ask whether she thought he had kept his promise. She laughed, nudged him away and said that if he played his cards right it could be a regular occurrence.

  She ate her breakfast quickly, whilst Jack sat at the table with his eggs and crispy bacon.

  ‘I heard Penny arriving home in the early hours. It was almost 2 a.m. That’s pretty late for a bingo session,’ he said.

  ‘She’ll no doubt be having a lie-in then. I took Hannah a warm bottle of milk and she’s watching her TV in her playpen. Check in on her after I leave, then Penny will no doubt get her up and dressed and take her to the park.’

  ‘Listen, thanks again for last night . . .’

  ‘If you are referring to the sex, judging by your prowess it should be me thanking you . . .’ Maggie teased, and Jack grinned.

  ‘You know what I mean, Mags, you listening made all the difference, and I don’t feel nearly as frazzled.’

  ‘Good, because you shouldn’t punish yourself. Just do what you can and stand by that gut feeling of yours; you always have in the past, and it has always proved you right.’

  By the time he had finished his breakfast and Maggie had left for the hospital, Jack was eager to have a look at the information Ridley had given to him. He did as Maggie had suggested and looked in on Hannah, just as Penny was coming out of the bathroom.

  ‘Good morning! Did you have a good time last night?’

  ‘I did, yes. Are you going in to work this morning?’

  ‘I am, in about an hour. Maggie’s already gone and left you a note to cook a chicken in a bag. I shouldn’t be late home this evening. Do you need anything?’

  ‘No, we’ll go to the park. I’ll have a go with the chicken. I’ve never cooked one in a bag before. And I’ll get some fresh vegetables when I do the food shopping. Thank you for staying at home last night,’ she added.

  ‘As if you need to thank me! It’s us who are grateful to have you! I got soaked giving her a bath and washing her hair. I got covered in talcum powder too!’

  Penny smiled. ‘Yes, she can be quite a little minx when she wants to be! You shouldn’t use too much talc – and actually it’s mine! I had better get her dressed and ready for her porridge. You have a good day, dear. I might be out again the same night next week, if you can organise it with Maggie.’

  ‘Another bingo session?’

  She didn’t answer, going into Hannah’s bedroom and closing the door behind her.

  Jack went back down to the kitchen and out via the kitchen door. Their little garden needed a lot of attention and was always on their ‘to do’ list, but the garden shed was also Jack’s safe hiding place. Hidden under the floorboards was a laptop he had used when contacting the women from the train robbery. It could not be traced to him and he had illegally uploaded the Holmes database on it, with a specific code to open it. There were also some bundles of bank notes, and a cardboard roll containing the painting he had been given by Adam Border. Lastly he had two burner phones, both of which would need charging. He replaced the boards, locked up the shed and returned to the house with the phones and laptop.

  Jack poured himself a fresh mug of coffee, then went up to his office. He closed the door so as not to be disturbed and opened his briefcase. He plugged in the laptop and burner phones to charge, then took out all the files the probation officers had passed to him, placing them to one side, before easing out the plastic bag that Ridley had given him. He tipped out the contents onto his desk. There were numerous photographs, plus a lot of typed pages, along with a computer stick. In a separate sealed envelope, on which Ridley had written ‘CCTV footage’, was a second computer stick. On a single sheet of paper was a note to Jack in Ridley’s hand-writing. He explained that it was highly irregular of him to be passing the contents of the envelope to Jack, and he urged him to take the utmost precaution with it, never allowing anyone else to have access. It was unsigned. In a white envelope, a single folded page of a notebook had the name Sammy Taylor with an address, and the word ‘Badger’ underlined. Jack presumed that this was the contact that Ridley said would help him.

  The burner phones were being charged up, and the laptop already charged on the floor by his chair. He cleared a space on his desk, inadvertently knocking over one of the files. He bent down to pick it up by the flap and more papers spilled out onto the floor. He pushed his chair back and began to pick up the loose pages. They were from Sara, and although he had not intended to work on anything connected to Rodney Middleton, he couldn’t help but read the heading: URGENT and in her neat handwriting, To be checked for confirmation.

  Sara had written that after his first arrest for the knife attack, Middleton had actually told a psychiatrist at the prison that he felt protective towards young children. It was noted that Middleton had delusional thoughts that he was a saviour, especially of young girls.

  The next note had words underlined regarding the fact that Middleton, aged nineteen, had been held in a secure hospital after threatening a neighbour with a knife. Jack sighed, turning a page to continue reading that doctors had assessed whether Middleton should be detained on another five occasions in the years since the fire. Each time it had been decided not to do so. Sara had then written that she was attempting to trace the probation officers who had been allocated to Middleton’s case, in order to acquire the reports from Angus Seymour, George Donaldson and Natalie Burrows. Jack placed the pages back into the file and put it to one side. He was about to work on the material from Ridley when he saw the last note, a reference to a Linda Harvey and a probationary report. He checked the time, and decided it was too early to call her, but jotted down her contact details.

  After setting the alarm on his mobile to ring at 8.15 a.m., he spread out all of the documents from Ridley. He began by writing down, as clearly as he could recall, everything that Ridley had told him. He then sifted through everything, deciding not to look at the computer sticks until his laptop was fully charged and he had more time. He started to read the first page of Ridley’s notes, with an attached flyer headed DATING AGENCY.

  The company name was ‘RP’ which stood for ‘Retired Professionals’ and they focused on men and women who had been in successful careers and who were looking to find like-minded people with a view to friendship and possible partnership. On their website there was a lengthy form for applicants to fill in, including age, career details, marriage status, property ownership and financial situation, as well as details of any medical issues. All applicants were required to supply two photographs, one full length and one head shot, and a personal interview had to be arranged before they could be accepted. Ridley had also included a printed page from their website, with background information on the two women who ran the agency.

  To Jack, the agency at first sight seemed legitimate, but his first priority would be to do background checks on Mrs Eva Shay and her partner, Selina Da Costa, the two women running the agency.

  Ridley had included two photographs of the woman he had known as Sandra. She was a very attractive blonde, with wide eyes and full lips, and on the back of the official agency photograph were her details: ‘Sandra Raynor, single, 44 years old, 5’9”, retired accountant. Enjoys skiing, country walks, visiting art galleries and museums.’

  Jack wondered how Ridley had described himself. He had to be in his mid-forties, and, like Sandra, he was single. He could not really be described as good-looking although he was over six feet tall. He wondered if Ridley enjoyed museums and art galleries. But he could certainly see why he would be attracted to Sandra, if that was her real name. In the envelope were photographs of the two other women that Ridley had dated, both middle-aged and pleasant-looking, but not quite as attractive.

  The alarm on Jack’s mobile went off telling him that he needed to leave for the station. Reluctantly, he gathered all Ridley’s documents to take with him, but before leaving he phoned Linda Harvey’s contact number at the probationary department. When she eventually came on the line, he explained as quickly as possible the reason for contacting her and gave his station details. She sounded young, with a pleasant voice, first explaining that her interview with Rodney Middleton had not actually taken place. Just as Jack was about to end the call, thanking her for her time, she said that to prepare for the appointment she had spoken to Dr Donaldson asking for his opinion.

  ‘Off the record, Dr Donaldson did say something that concerned me, and it was frustrating that I was never able to follow up on it because my interview with Mr Middleton was cancelled because of his arrest’.

  There was a pause, and he heard an intake of breath.

  ‘What I’m going to say must be off the record. I hope you understand that’.

  ‘Of course,’ Jack said.

  ‘Right well, Dr Donaldson said that in his opinion Rodney Middleton’s ability to play the system was the only reason he had remained out of prison. He was a very dangerous individual and I should be very careful regarding any interaction with him.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Jack said. ‘I appreciate you passing that on. And you have my word our conversation will remain between us.’

  Jack terminated the call, letting out a deep breath. So his gut instinct had been right. There was no way he was going to drop this investigation now. The only problem was that he now had two investigations to pursue, and one of them had to be secret. Hurrying down the stairs, Jack found Penny had Hannah already in her pushchair to take her to the park, and quickly said goodbye to them both before leaving. By the time he arrived at the station it was just after nine. There were only a small team of officers on duty and Jack went up to the CID office and carefully locked the Ridley material away in his desk drawer. He was taking out his case files as Sara came in with a coffee.

  ‘I read the update on Middleton’s past records. Good work,’ Jack said.

  ‘I was able to get help through my brother, and I’m now sourcing more information regarding the probation reports,’ she told him. ‘I’ve located the probation officer that handled Middleton’s previous arrest, and also the one that saw him four years ago, but he’s retired. He lives in Twickenham and was quite cooperative if a bit guarded.’

  Jack sipped the coffee, which needed more sugar for his taste. He studied her neat report, which gave the contact numbers for both officers she had just mentioned.

  ‘The firefighter you asked us to track down? I called him this morning at his home, and he’s happy to meet you.’

  ‘That’s Brian Hookam, right?’

  ‘Yes, sarge. He lives in Cobham.’

  ‘OK, Sara, can you find out if he’ll see me this morning. Also check with the probation officer. I could see him first, then go on to Cobham.’

  ‘I’ll make the calls right now.’

  Sara went back to her desk and Jack signalled to DC Elba to join him. He took out the laptop he’d brought in from his garden hut. Well aware of Ridley’s warning that the Essex CID would be monitoring anything to do with his case, he knew he was taking a risk. But the Middleton enquiry was really taking up too much of his time, and he needed to start making headway as soon as possible.

  Leon stood by his desk, notebook at the ready. Jack hesitated a moment, still unsure about what he could get away with.

  ‘Leon, I need you to do some checking for me, and it’s very important. I need you to find out anything you can about a Sandra Raynor, aged 44, working as an accountant. Look through the newspaper archives, pull out anything you can find on her.’ He passed over the laptop. ‘I also want you to use this, not the station’s, as this is a covert investigation. You get any kind of alarm bells, you bring it straight back to me, understand?’

  ‘Will do, sarge.’ Leon jotted down some notes in his pocketbook, then put the laptop in his briefcase. ‘We also contacted the hostel. Amanda Dunn is still there, but a Mrs Thornton said that she was scheduled to be leaving after the weekend.’

  Jack nodded, deciding he would do the visits first and then drive over to see Amanda.

  Half an hour later he left the station with Sara, after she had entered into CRIS that they would be conducting two interviews that morning. She giggled when she saw Jack’s car, saying that she had never known a detective to drive such an outrageously coloured vehicle.

  ‘Beggars can’t be choosers, Sara, and my wife has the Porsche. At least you can easily spot this in a car park, plus I doubt anyone would ever want to steal it!’

  ‘You’re probably right about that, sarge,’ Sara agreed, then paused before continuing. ‘There are a few things I didn’t put into my written report. Mr Thompson is retired and was actually semi-retired when he was handling Rodney Middleton’s case. He’s sixty-seven, and apparently has some medical issues. He’s an “old school” probationary officer, and to be honest I doubt he would even be employed these days.’

  Sydney Thompson lived in a small terraced house in St Margarets, just after Twickenham Bridge, and fortunately Jack was able to park almost outside his front door. There were cones blocking the spaces in front of an adjacent property that was being renovated; however, there didn’t appear to be any builders working on it. They both put on their masks, even though it was not obligatory, and headed towards number 32.

  Thompson opened the front door before Jack had time to ring the bell. He looked older than sixty-seven and was very overweight, his enormous stomach bulging out through his crumpled collarless shirt.

  ‘There’s a big rugby match on this afternoon, so I hope this isn’t going to take too long. And don’t worry about wearing your masks; nobody round here bothers now. I’ve had my vaccinations, so has the wife, as she’s got asthma. She’s been in isolation for so long she’s starting to enjoy making me do all the grocery shopping. Not for much longer though!’