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‘You sticking around for the briefing or heading back to town?’
    ‘I might sit in for a bit. Actually, I’m meeting Jo at the Railway later for a bite to eat. Two birds, one stone, seeing as I’m up here. Forty pence a mile doesn’t go far these days. By the looks of the weather, I might have to find a room too.’
    ‘Win win . . .’ Kate tried for a smile but it didn’t come off.
    Naylor didn’t notice. ‘Filled my car up the other day,’ he griped. ‘Cost me nearly ninety quid!’
    As he continued his rant about the price of diesel, Kate’s mind strayed. Jo Soulsby was a psychologist who’d worked for Northumbria Police as a criminal profiler for the past few years. She’d resigned recently in order to take up a post at HMP Northumberland. Right now she was probably hard at work only ten short miles away from where they were standing. She wasn’t just an ex-colleague either. She was Kate’s ex: her lover, confidante and the best friend she’d ever had. Their relationship, or former one to be precise, was a closely guarded secret only Hank knew about.
    Yeah right , Kate thought.
    A run-in with former Assistant Chief Constable Martin – who’dsince retired in disgrace – had outed her in spectacular fashion when an offender she was chasing sent him an anonymous letter. Though the ACC had no proof of her relationship with Jo, he’d sure as hell be making his mouth go about her private life now, dishing the dirt to anyone who’d listen. Whatever he was saying would eventually filter down to the whole damn force.
    Kate sighed.
    She found it hard to accept that she and Jo were finished, harder still to define her feelings for someone who steadfastly refused to return her texts. Recent attempts to contact her on landline or mobile had failed. Fair enough. If she didn’t want to talk, Kate wouldn’t push it. No point in chasing a lost cause.
    ‘Kate?’
    A combination of her boss’s voice and Hank’s interest dragged the SIO back into the room. Apologizing for the lapse in concentration, she said, ‘Give her my love when you see her, won’t you, guv?’
    ‘Are you even listening to me?’ The Super put down his empty mug, a curious expression on his face. ‘I said why don’t you join us?’
    ‘Maybe next time. I want to get stuff up and running here first.’
    Puzzled, Naylor looked around him. The temporary murder wall was almost blank. There wasn’t a thing going on. The squad were bored out of their brains, itching for the enquiry to get under way. A couple of detectives were playing cards. Others were texting or tweeting on mobile phones.
    Naylor didn’t question her in front of the troops. Not in words. But when he turned to face her, he held her gaze long enough to let her know that he wasn’t fooled by her avoidance tactics. He knew something was up. He also knew that, whatever it was, it had nothing to do with the investigation.

11
    I NCENSED WITH H ARRISON for giving her such a hard time, Emily didn’t hang around after the sentence-planning meeting. As soon as it broke up she was out of there, returning briefly to her office to dump her case-notes before heading straight for the medical wing with her bag slung over her shoulder.
    As she shut the gate behind her, she glanced back through the thick steel bars. Like a smiling assassin, Principal Officer Harrison was standing in his doorway shaking hands with the chaplain but looking right past him in her direction. Wishing she could wipe that supercilious smirk off his face, she turned away, determined to deny him the satisfaction of knowing that he’d got to her.
    She’d felt vulnerable since losing Robert. It was as if her confidence had died and been buried along with his body. It had taken all her resolve to crawl out of the black hole she’d fallen into when the news of his death reached her. Now this ignorant arsehole was trying to push her back in it again.
    Well, she’d see about that .
    Turning the key in the heavy metal