The Puppet Show (Washington Poe)

‘Tilly, can you get to the—’ Flynn said.

Showing a resilience she hadn’t had a week ago, Bradshaw clipped her boss’s sentence. ‘Until ten months ago when two vehicles were bought from a car auction in Derbyshire.’

There was silence. Everyone on the call knew that GU Security had their UK headquarters in Derbyshire.

‘Are you saying what I think you’re saying?’ Flynn asked. Gamble seemed to have lost his voice.

‘It was easy enough to check,’ Poe said. ‘Because of money-laundering laws, all car auction companies are registered with HMRC as high-value dealers. That means they can’t accept cash transactions of over ten thousand pounds so—’

‘So those vans would have had to be paid for via a bank transfer,’ Gamble cut in. ‘I know how the fucking money-laundering law works, Poe! I am still failing to see how this leads back to one of my finest officers.’

‘GU were very helpful, sir,’ Poe said, as if Gamble hadn’t spoken. ‘Among the vehicles sold to the auction company were four-cell vans and some of the larger ten-cell trucks. The auction company confirmed that the Scafell Veterinary Group bought one of each. I’ve sent you their email.’

‘But—’

‘Sir, the Scafell Veterinary Group is owned by Kylian Reid’s father.’

It took a further ten minutes for Gamble to get to grips with the fact that one of his detectives might be a serial killer. He clung to the one thing he thought Poe couldn’t explain. ‘It doesn’t make sense, Poe. Reid was drugged at the same time as you.’

‘He was, sir,’ Poe agreed.

‘Well then?’

‘What do you know about propofol, sir?’

‘It’s an anaesthetic,’ Gamble replied.

‘It is, sir. But thanks to Tilly I kn

ow a lot more about it now. It has a multitude of other uses. It’s been used as part of the lethal injection cocktails on American death-row inmates, and it’s used recreationally by some of the more discerning drug users. It’s even—’

‘Get to the fucking point, Poe!’

‘Veterinary medicine, sir!’ Bradshaw blurted out. ‘Vets also use it as an anaesthetic.’

‘Are you saying . . .’

‘The Scafell Veterinary Group purchased some last year, sir,’ Poe finished for him. ‘Propofol is heavily regulated and the drugs company keep an excellent record. I’ve sent you that email as well.’

There was a pause, ‘It still doesn’t explain how he managed to drug himself and abduct Hilary Swift at the same time, Poe.’

‘That’s because he didn’t, sir,’ Poe said.

‘I don’t unders—’

‘The Immolation Man isn’t one person, sir, it’s two,’ Poe cut in. ‘Reid drugged himself to avoid suspicion, then his father abducted Hilary Swift and her grandchildren.’

Flynn took control. ‘OK, Poe. Sir, I think we’ve heard enough. We need to at least detain DS Reid until we’ve cleared this up,’ she said.

‘And can I suggest that someone makes sure Montague Price is where he’s supposed to be?’ Poe said.

That got Gamble’s attention. It was one thing to not see the enemy within, another thing entirely for a prisoner in his custody to be abducted.

‘It’s ridiculous, DI Flynn,’ Gamble said, no doubt thinking ahead. The world was about to crash down on his head.

‘Steph,’ Poe said, ‘if DCS Gamble can’t, can you? Price is now the only one left from that boat. Kylian will want him.’

‘Leave it with me.’