‘Okay, let’s talk,’ Jack said. ‘Who pays for your services?’

The two men exchanged glances, less confident now. ‘What do you mean?’ the taller one said.

‘Just that,’ Jack said, and he gestured around him. ‘These people aren’t millionaires, but they’ve got you two looking after them. The police come free. Why you?’

‘We’re here all the time,’ the tall one said again. ‘The police only ever come round with search warrants or to arrest people. You never see them just looking after people.’

‘Very noble of you,’ Jack said. ‘Who is DR?’

The two men exchanged glances again, until the taller one said, ‘Look it up, if you’re that interested.’

Jack nodded. ‘I think I am. Thank you.’

‘Where are you going now?’

‘Like I said, I’m just doing my thing,’ Jack said. ‘If you want to follow me, well, that’s your choice. That’s what they pay you for, I suppose.’

‘You can’t go knocking on doors,’ the smaller one said.

‘If I pull out an axe, you can earn your money, but until then I’ll make my own choices.’ Jack flashed them a grin. ‘You can be in the story if you like.’

The small one scowled and clenched his fists, but the big one just put a hand on his elbow, to keep him in check.

‘If we get any complaints, we’ll see you again.’

‘Understand one thing,’ Jack said, stepping closer, stopping only when he could smell the staleness of their breath. ‘You have no power to do anything. You can’t speak to me, you can’t escort me anywhere, and you cannot stop me doing my job.’

Jack turned away and carried on walking. He expected to hear footsteps coming after him, but he didn’t, and eventually he heard their van start up and head off.

Jack was starting to think that the estate could be a dangerous place.

Laura and Joe were on their way to the home of the first victim when Laura glanced at her watch and realised how late it was getting.

‘Bobby?’ Joe asked.

‘He’s gone to a friend’s house, so he’ll be all right for now.’

‘But you’re still worried about him,’ Joe said.

Laura gave a weary smile. ‘I’m his mother. I’m supposed to be there for him.’

‘What about Jack? Can’t he do more?’

‘He does a lot, but I don’t want Bobby to become a chore.’

‘Don’t worry, you’ll get home to him,’ Joe said, and then he smiled. ‘Maybe not today, though.’

‘And what about you, and the rest of the team?’ she said. ‘What about your home lives?’

Joe raised his eyebrows but didn’t answer straight away. Instead, he kept his eyes on the road before eventually saying, ‘My home life is best kept there, at home.’

Laura took the hint and didn’t probe any further.

‘We’ll probably go for a drink later on,’ he said, and looked over at Laura. ‘You could always join us.’

Laura pulled a face. ‘I was never any good at the team bonding thing,’ she said.

‘Too macho?’

‘Well, maybe, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t care about the team.’

‘That’s not how I meant it.’

‘It’s how it feels though,’ Laura said. ‘I wouldn’t have thought it would be your scene either.’

‘Why’s that?’

‘It sounds all a bit too Sweeney for you,’ she said.

He laughed. ‘We all need to unwind sometimes, and like it or not, those are my friends. And yours.’

‘It was an observation, not a criticism,’ Laura said, and then turned to look out of the window. She watched as the main road out of Blackley turned into a stream of warehouses and car showrooms. A large supermarket dominated one side, and then soon after Joe swung his car into a street of tall Victorian houses, with large sash windows and dark millstone fronts. They wound their way around curving streets, along tree-lined avenues, the kerbsides dominated by new cars, all large and polished.

They stopped outside the Corley house, and as they got out, Laura smoothed down her suit jacket and reminded herself of the purpose of the visit. Take it easy. Play it like a sympathy visit. Don’t let on that Mike Corley had been spotted at the murder scene and see if he volunteers it.

They walked up the short path and were about to ring the doorbell when the door opened. They were confronted by a large man with a crew cut whose scalp bore faint scars that looked like the remnants of a knife attack. He was wearing a black T-shirt and black combat pants, almost police-style, except for the thick gold chain around his neck.

He stopped when he saw them, surprised, but then he eyed Laura up and down, before he looked back into the house.

‘There’s someone to see you,’ he shouted, his voice gravelly, broad and local, before he set off down the path. ‘Looks like the Mormons,’ he added, and then he flashed Laura a sneer. As she turned to watch him go, he gave her a wink.

There was a noise behind, and as she turned back to the door, Mike Corley was there. He nodded at Joe and then turned to go back into the house.

As they followed, Laura asked, ‘Is your wife in?’

Mike Corley shook his head. ‘Gone to her sister’s house. She just can’t cope with all the visitors and the intrusion.’

‘Looks like she missed a well-wisher,’ Laura said. ‘She needs to know that people are there for her.’ When Corley looked confused, Laura pointed towards the window. ‘The man who was just here.’

‘Oh him,’ Corley said, and then shook his head as if the visit meant nothing. ‘Just an old friend.’

He didn’t look like the sort of person a policeman had round for afternoon tea, Laura thought, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she sat down on the sofa, just to emphasise that it wasn’t a quick visit. Corley stayed on his feet, his eyes flicking between her and Joe.

‘How much have you been told today?’ Laura asked.

‘Not much,’ he said. ‘A reporter came here earlier, but he just told me what I already knew.’

‘Can you remember his name?’

‘Garrett,’ he said. ‘Joe or John.’

Laura blushed, before she said, ‘Jack.’ She coughed. ‘Jack Garrett.’

‘So you know him?’

Laura nodded, trying not to give anything away. ‘Yes, I know him. What did he tell you?’

‘Just that you didn’t catch my daughter’s killer and he has murdered someone else,’ he said. ‘That just about sum it up?’

Laura looked at Joe, who was pursing his lips.

‘You know how it is,’ Joe said. ‘We don’t always catch these people straight away.’

Mike shook his head, his hands on his hips, his tongue flicking across his lips with tension. ‘I know that you lot cruise around the station like we are supposed to be in awe of you,’ he said. ‘But how often do you get it right?’

‘The woman’s name was Jane Roberts,’ Laura said. ‘Do you know her, or Jane’s father, Don Roberts?’

Corley’s anger stalled at that, and he gave a quick shake of his head. Too quick.

‘You seem pretty certain,’ Laura said.

‘I know who I know.’

‘What about your daughter? Did she keep any address book that you haven’t already handed over? Jane’s name might be in there. If they are connected in any way, it might help to find your daughter’s killer.’

Again, Corley shook his head.

‘Have you checked?’ Laura said.

‘I don’t need to,’ Corley said, angrier now. ‘Deborah’s life was turned inside out by the press before she was found, and it didn’t let up after. All they wrote about was her love life, because she’d had a couple of married boyfriends, just because it made the story a little seedier. How do you think that made us feel, that we had to find out things about our daughter that we didn’t need to know, that no one needed to know?’

‘That was the press, not us,’ Joe said. ‘We can’t stop them from printing whatever will sell their papers, but you can use them, to keep Deborah in the public eye, make them see the real Deborah, not the one they have shown until now.’

‘That’s what the reporter said earlier. You must work from scripts.’ He snorted a bitter laugh. ‘Is that why you’ve come here, to get me to talk to the press?’