‘What’s this I hear about you visiting Mason Gatley?’ Heavy-footed, DI Downes barged into Ruby’s office, completely oblivious to the fact she was on the phone. After some late-night phone calls and a few strings pulled, it seemed the prison visit had been arranged.

‘What? Oh, that,’ she said, ending her call to the tech department. Having just imparted the urgency of her request, her mind was racing forward to her next task.

‘Yes, that,’ Downes said, brushing away what appeared to be pastry flakes from his grey striped tie. ‘At what point were you going to ask my permission? If it pertains to the investigation then you have got to get clearance from me.’

‘I was waiting until it was agreed,’ Ruby said, feeling her hackles rise. ‘To be honest, I didn’t think it would happen. He hasn’t had a visitor in years and it’s only thanks to my… connections that he’s agreeing to meet.’

Downes frowned, apparently unwilling to drop the subject. ‘Don’t you think you should hold off and see how we progress with the investigation? You might not need to visit this guy.’

‘I won’t be there long,’ Ruby said. ‘It may just give us the answers we need.’

Downes raised his hands in protest. He had always been a gesticulator. From stomping around the office to waving his arms as he spoke, his body worked in unison to relay his passion for the job. ‘Ach! He’ll only play with you. Why should he help us? He’s probably basking in the attention. You’ll just be a way of passing the time.’

Ruby folded her arms, reminding herself she was talking to a senior officer. She wished she could make him see the bigger picture, but he was too long in the job to start taking advice now. ‘Mason Gatley won’t get much out of me. I know we’re stretched, but we have competent officers who are working on finding our suspect online.’ She pointed in the direction of the window that offered a view of their team. ‘Any one of them is capable of the tasks we’ve set. But I’m the only one granted an audience with Gatley. If I turn this down, I may not get another chance. So as long as I’m progressing the investigation then it can only be a good thing.’

‘As long as it’s worthwhile,’ Downes said, on the exhale. ‘Like I said. You watch yourself with that one. What about if I come along? See if he’ll meet both of us?’

‘You’re joking me, aren’t you?’ Ruby said incredulously. ‘You handled the investigation that put him away. Besides, it’s not as if I’m meeting him down some dark alleyway. He’s safely tucked away behind bars.’

Downes gave her a look to say she should know better than to think she was safe because Mason was locked up. Sometimes prison did not stop the worst of offenders, it only provided them more thinking time to orchestrate their heinous crimes from afar. Of that, they were both well aware.

As Downes rose from his seat, Ruby squeezed his arm. She knew his concerns for her went way beyond a work relationship. He was her friend, her mentor and, briefly, her lover, less than a year before. Her voice was soft and warm as she imparted some reassurance. ‘Hey, no need to worry. I just want to find out what he knows about Melissa Sherman, and who he’s been talking to about his past. It could be fellow prisoners, family members… even journalists for all we know.’ She tilted her head to one side as she caught his gaze. ‘It’s got to be worth a shot, hasn’t it?’

Downes shook his head. ‘According to prison liaison, he hasn’t had visitors in years. His post is being monitored and there’s been no details of his case.’

‘I don’t get why you’re so worried,’ Ruby said, searching his face for answers. ‘I’ve dealt with people like Mason before.’

‘The thing is, you haven’t,’ Downes replied, finally meeting her gaze. ‘Sure, you’ve dealt with the sort of people that give ordinary decent folk nightmares. But they’re pussycats compared to Mason Gatley. He is the most evil, soulless, psychopathic bastard you could ever be unfortunate enough to meet.’

‘Don’t hold back, boss, why don’t you say what you really feel?’ But Ruby’s smile died on her lips as she took in the expression on Downes’s face. Were there tears building up in his eyes? Just what was going on with him? She cleared her throat. She needed to wrap up this conversation and get on with the day. ‘So, I suppose I should ask you officially. Can I go?’

‘Well I’m hardly gonna say no to you now, am I?’ Downes said. ‘Not when your boyfriend has gone to so much trouble to put you in front of harm’s way.’ Downes was one of the few people to know about Ruby’s connection with the Crosbys. He had kept her secret, but it did not stop him voicing his disapproval when they were alone.

Ruby opened her mouth to complain but Downes raised his hand.

‘Keep your phone switched on in case of developments. If anything crops up, I’ll pull you out of there, and I want no arguments. Agreed?’

‘Agreed,’ Ruby said.

Downes nodded sharply before leaving her to her thoughts. Something was eating him, that much was clear, and from what Ruby could tell, it was personal.