‘He’s playing a game with you.’

Or was she seeing something that wasn’t there? Jessica looked under the cubicle doors to make sure there was no one else in the room and then took out her phone. This time she didn’t hesitate in calling Adam.

‘Jess?’

‘Yes, Adam, look, can you do something for me?’

‘Um, I guess. I mean you didn’t call and then . . .’

‘You’ll have to do the testing quietly though?’

‘Testing?’

‘Yes, at your labs.’

‘Oh, right. I didn’t realise that’s what you meant. I can’t do that, everything we test has to be logged and then they can check it all back through the computer system.’

‘Forget that. Say I wanted to bring some skin samples or saliva in for you to test, what would you need? Like a fork or something the person had touched?’

‘I can’t do that, Jess.’

‘Okay, but say you could, what would you need?’

‘Um, look, it’s not as easy as that. DNA isn’t just an object you can pick up, it’s why we’re so careful at crime scenes. The second you touch something, you contaminate it. It’s not like just picking up some cutlery and then running it through a scanner. We even use sterile storage bags to put things in, so the material can’t pollute the object either. Plus it’s why we use swabs because saliva is much purer – either that or blood. Even with hairs, if you touch them then your signature is on it. But I can’t do anything like that anyway, I could lose my job.’

‘Can we meet tonight?’

‘Jess . . .’

‘Please, Adam. I’m asking you if we can meet up.’

‘I . . . well, yes. I’ve wanted to see you ever since the quiz but . . .’

‘Brilliant. How about that pub we were in before opposite that Italian place. Around eight?’

‘Um, yes, I guess but . . .’

Jessica hung up, not waiting to hear if he had anything else to say. She had a plan that would hopefully prove once and for all she was right.

She knew she first had to keep up appearances. If things were going to work, she couldn’t seem to be acting erratically. She found Cole in his office and they both went up to DCI Farraday’s floor for their morning briefing. Jessica let the inspector do the talking and didn’t push her own views. Eventually the chief inspector consented to let a picture of Donald McKenna be released to the media – without a name – and ask the public for information.

Jessica wanted to grin, knowing she was already on to him, but kept a straight face. She looked at the picture they were sending out of McKenna and could see Farraday completely. The eyes weren’t quite the same, the hairline was completely off and there was definitely a different shape to the face but there was unquestionably something similar only she could see. Maybe it was the ears? Perhaps the chin?

In the meeting, they agreed to keep details about McKenna’s sister from him. With nothing else formally to go on, they were edging towards a secret twin and didn’t want to risk letting the prisoner know they were on to him. Instead, the three were going to spend the day working with the media, either directly or behind the scenes, to get the photo as widely circulated as possible. If papers or TV stations wanted interviews, one of them would be on hand to peddle the line that this person was someone they wanted to speak to. They would give no extra details and no names. Meanwhile, more officers were being brought in to take the phone calls. Anyone who suggested McKenna as the identity would be instantly discounted and there would be a secondary team of officers ready to start looking into the backgrounds of any other names suggested who had a similar date of birth to McKenna – or better yet no trace of a birth certificate.

Jessica nodded along and spoke when she was supposed to, silently thinking her own plan through. The way the day was going to work out should go in her favour. The three of them would be operating closely together, which would give her a better chance.

After the meeting, she went to the storage room to ask for some evidence bags. It wasn’t unusual for officers to be asking so she wasn’t giving anything away. Jessica then returned to her car and hunted around in the door wells. She knew there was a nail file in there somewhere but hadn’t used it for years. She found it in the passenger door and started chiselling one of the nails on her right hand, knowing she had to get it exactly right and that she would only have one chance. Finally, she looked through the first-aid kit in her boot, taking out a fine piece of gauze and handling it as gently as she possibly could by the corners.

With everything in place, she went back into the station and entered the Pad – which was the ridiculous name that had been given to their media briefing room. DI Cole and DCI Farraday were already in there along with the press office staff. They worked on a statement together, reiterating they were appealing for help with the identity of the man, and then it was faxed and emailed to the various media organisations along with the photo of McKenna. With that done, the three detectives put in follow-up calls to various newsdesks to give them any additional quotes they might want. They first started off with the local media as the press officer contacted a few national broadcasters and the wire services.

Jessica got through the morning looking for an opening that never came. As lunchtime approached, she was beginning to feel pangs of anxiety about whether she could pull off what she hoped for. She could also sense grumblings in her stomach and realised she hadn’t eaten since breakfast the previous day. She hadn’t wanted to risk train food and then simply forgot to eat.

They were working on a large desk, each with a different phone and their own laptop just in case they needed to either type anything or use the Internet.

With none of them on a call, Jessica stood and caught Cole’s eye across the table. ‘I’m going to nip to the canteen and get something to eat. Do you want anything bringing back?’

He pushed out his bottom lip and breathed through his teeth. ‘Why not? Just a sandwich or something. Nothing with egg though.’

Jessica walked around her chair towards Farraday. ‘How about you, Sir? Do you want me to bring you through some lunch?’

The DCI looked quizzically at her. ‘I suppose. A sandwich is fine for me too.’

Jessica took another step towards him. ‘No worries, I’ll be back in a . . . I think you’ve got something stuck to your cheek, Sir.’

The man used his hands to brush at his face but Jessica leant in. ‘No, you’re missing it, it’s just . . .’ She quickly flashed her palm across his cheek using the nail she had sharpened to deliberately nick his skin.

Blood instantly ran down his face as he jumped back. Jessica held the hand she had caught him with to her side, using the other to take some tissues out of her pocket. ‘Oh God, I’m so sorry. I keep meaning to sort my nails. Shit, you’re bleeding. Here, take these.’

The chief inspector stared at her, his eyes wide as he took the tissues. ‘Are you okay?’ Cole asked from the other side.

Jessica continued to apologise as the DCI dabbed at his face. ‘It’s not deep. Those are some sharp nails you’ve got there, Daniel.’

‘I know. Sorry, Sir. I’ll go sort them, then go to the canteen.’

Jessica turned around, moving as quickly as she could towards the door without making anyone even more suspicious. She took the gauze from her pocket and wiped all of the blood she could onto it, placing it carefully into the evidence bag. Jessica strode out to her car and unlocked it before putting the bag under the driver’s seat. The day was cool and she figured that, although it wasn’t a freezer, it was the best she could manage.

Despite rarely being on time, let alone early, Jessica got to the pub twenty minutes early to wait for Adam. She hid herself away on a table out of sight from the bar so no one would question why she was hovering there without a drink. At eight o’clock exactly, she saw Adam walk through the front doors. She didn’t want to out herself to the bar staff so waited for him to find her.