Collins had been trying to stall Stanley ever since, but now the demons of the past were coming back to haunt her. Not even her closest colleagues knew just how much assistance this gangland figure had provided for her over the years. And they could never know. While she could justify her behaviour to herself, allowing the whole truth to come out would mean instant dismissal and possible prosecution. If she was going to get out of this with her career intact, she was going to have to tread very carefully.

Collins looked up at each person in the room in turn before fixing her gaze on DCI Barker. ‘I’ve known Jack Stanley my whole life,’ she began. ‘We grew up together on the same estate. When I joined the police he became an unofficial informant. As I’m sure you’re aware, a lot of that kind of thing went on back then, before the regulations were tightened up.’

‘That’s ancient history,’ interrupted Willis, her dark eyes flashing with irritation. ‘This photograph was taken three months ago –’

‘I was just getting to that,’ said Collins, turning her gaze to meet that of her accuser. ‘I haven’t seen much of Stanley since I joined MIT, but I looked him up when I was working on a kidnap case. The money drop had been due to take place on the Blenheim and I thought some of Stanley’s people might have seen something.

‘I know that, technically, it was a breach of protocol, but we were up against the clock and there was no time to go through official channels. As it turned out, Stanley was able to provide some crucial information that had a significant impact on the resolution of the case.’ She was doing well, sticking as close to the real truth as possible to keep her story convincing and her delivery natural.

Willis nodded slowly. ‘We’re fully aware of your role in the Daniel Eliot case and I can see that someone in Stanley’s position would have been well worth talking to.’ She slid three more photographs across the table as she spoke. ‘But that still leaves the question of why you went to see Stanley again three weeks later. And exactly why on earth you felt the need to take your thirteen-year-old daughter with you.’

Collins breathed in slowly and deeply through her nose, attempting to fill her lungs with a much needed calming breath without letting it show. She had expected the pictures of her and Stanley in the park. She had not expected these new shots. All her earlier responses had been carefully rehearsed. Now she would have to do it on the fly.

Don’t rise to the bait. Don’t let them get to you.

She carefully studied each picture. The first showed Collins getting out of her car in front of a set of large metal gates, the entrance to Stanley’s palatial home. Inside the car, clearly visible in the passenger seat, was Sophie. The second photograph had been taken a few moments later. The gates were open and Jack Stanley was leaning casually against one of the posts. The third photograph showed Sophie out of the car and Jack Stanley smiling broadly at her.

Collins could sense that every pair of eyes in the room, including those of her Federation rep, were staring intently at her. She looked up from the photographs and met the gaze of DI Willis head on. ‘It’s completely innocent,’ she said softly.

‘Sophie had gone missing during the course of the kidnap investigation. I was distraught because the kidnapper had uncovered some personal information about me, and there seemed to be a possibility that he had snatched my daughter. I knew she had last been seen on the Blenheim, so I asked Stanley to help find her. A couple of hours later he delivered her safely to my parents. The day these photographs were taken, Sophie and I had simply gone there to thank him.’

There was an uncomfortable silence after Collins had finished her explanation.

‘That seems a little unlikely,’ said Willis, leaning back and folding her arms in front of her. ‘And, might I say, pretty bloody convenient, considering what you are being accused of.’

‘And what exactly am I being accused of?’ asked Collins.

Willis looked across at Barker, who leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table in front of him. ‘We are investigating allegations that you have been passing police intelligence to Jack Stanley.’

Don’t rise to the bait.

‘I have never done any such thing. I never would.’

‘During the time he was an unregistered informant, did Stanley ever ask you for intelligence information?’ asked Barker.

‘Of course not.’

‘Have you ever offered Stanley intelligence information?’

‘No. Never. Absolutely not.’

‘And what about during these two meetings? Did he ask you for anything in return for the assistance he had given you?’

At that moment Collins slowly, deliberately, swept her eyes across to her right in a move she had practised to absolute perfection.

Years of training and experience had taught Collins, along with other officers, common ways of telling when people are lying. When a person remembers something that actually happened to them, their eyes usually move to the right, an outward manifestation of the brain activating its memory centre, which is located in the right lobe. By contrast, when a person tells a lie, their eyes move up and to the left as their brain activates its cognitive centre to enable the person to create a false story.

Collins knew that looking to the left while she gave her explanation about the photograph would be an indication that she was making up her answer. But if she was going to survive this encounter with the DPS and SOCA officers unscathed, she was not only going to have to lie but she was also going to have to get away with it. Few could fake their eye movements as well as Collins could.

‘No. He didn’t ask me for anything. He wouldn’t do that.’

DI Willis sat forward again and exhaled noisily. It was clear that she didn’t believe a word of what she was hearing. ‘This could all be bullshit. Is there anyone who can even confirm that your daughter had gone missing in the first place?’ she said, a sarcastic tone evident to all in her voice.

Collins could feel the muscles tightening in her chest and her hackles rising. ‘What are you trying to say? Are you calling me a liar? You asked me to explain why I had my daughter with me and I’m doing just that. At least do me the courtesy of hearing me out.’

‘I did listen. I heard every one of your lies loud and clear and I don’t care to hear any more.’

Don’t rise to the … ah hell with it.

A red cloud of mist seemed to fill Collins’s eyes, and she slammed her fist down on the table in front of her. ‘How dare you? Yes, there are other people who knew about Sophie being missing. I was desperate. I called everyone. Check with James McNultie, check with DS Woods, check with my parents, for God’s sake.’

‘We will, we’ll check with them all. You bet we will.’

‘You do that, and then you come back here and apologize when you realize I’ve been telling you the truth.’

‘I’m just doing my job,’ snapped Willis.

‘What job is that? Spreading so much fear and mistrust among the rank and file that honest coppers are too scared to stick their necks out.’

‘Anyone who sticks their neck out too far deserves to get it chopped off.’

Collins leaned towards Willis.

‘Are you threatening me? You pissy little …’

Barker raised both his hands in the air. ‘Okay, okay. Calm down. Both of you. I’ll tell you what’s going to happen right now, DI Collins. At this time there is no intention to charge you with any offence and therefore you will be free to return to your duties. You are not suspended. You’ll be joining a new murder squad reporting to DCI Anderson. Per my orders, he’ll be keeping a close eye on you. And if you want to use Jack Stanley or anyone else as an informant of any kind, you’ll have to register them. I also suggest that in future any meetings with him – accidental or otherwise – should be logged with DCI Anderson or another senior officer.’