of Eastvale Divisional Police HQ, shortly followed by DC Susan Gay, Superintendent Gristhorpe and, finally, Sergeant Hatchley. Having been warned by Susan, Banks was dreading that Jimmy Riddle himself would show up. Riddle was a notoriously early riser, and the thirty miles or so of country roads from Regional HQ to Eastvale at such an hour would mean nothing to him. Especially if it gave him an opportunity to cause Banks grief. Banks knew he would have to face the CC before long— Gristhorpe said he had already received his bollocking for letting his DCI too far off the leash—but he just didn’t want it first thing in the morning, never his favourite time of day. Especially since he’d gone down to the Queen’s Arms in a huff after his argument with Sandra the previous evening and had a jar too many. He hadn’t handled that situation well, he knew. He hadn’t been at all reasonable. He had lived with Sandra long enough to know that when she lashed out like that—which was rare—it meant she had something important on her mind.
