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Miles nodded.

‘I’ve already dealt with all the necessary paperwork, so that when you’re released you’ll find Collins parked outside the front gate waiting to drive you back home to Chelsea. But I need to know if you have any further instructions for me before then.’

‘Three wasted years,’ came back Miles’s bitter response to his counsel’s question, ‘which no one can give me back. But that won’t stop me making those responsible pay for their actions.’

‘Don’t you think it might be time to put the past behind you, Miles, and move on?’ suggested Booth Watson, with an exaggerated sigh. ‘The last thing you need is another spell in prison.’

‘I haven’t been idle for the past three years,’ said Miles, as if he hadn’t heard the proffered advice. ‘One thing they can’t lock up is your mind, and this time I have a foolproof scheme to ensure Mr and Mrs Warwick won’t be enjoying conjugal bliss for much longer.’

‘I don’t have to remind you, Miles, that Chief Superintendent Warwick is now head of the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Unit, and Dr Warwick has proved such a success as director of the Fitzmolean that I’m reliably informed her name is on the shortlist as the next director of Tate.’

‘She won’t even get an interview for the job,’ snapped Miles. ‘Not after what I have planned for her. And this is just forstarters. Once I get going, early retirement will be the least of the Chief Superintendent’s worries. They need to know I’m back – and that I’m going to make their lives hell for as long as it suits me. So, all I need to know before I make my first move is what Christina has been up to in my absence.’

‘Your ex-wife is once again living well beyond her means,’ said Booth Watson.

‘Despite the fact I’m still paying her a monthly allowance that would impress a footballer’s wife.’

‘Which only makes a small dent in her overdraft. In fact, the bank has recently put a block on her account which has rather cut down on any extra-curricular activities. However, she’s just been appointed chair of the Fitzmolean’s fundraising committee, but only because …’

‘Mrs Warwick needs to raise half a million in double-quick time, and it might surprise you to know I intend to help her.’

‘You intend to do what?’ said Booth Watson, unable to believe his client’s words.

‘It’s all part of my plan to bring all three of them down at the same time.’

Booth Watson would have pleaded with his client once again to let bygones be exactly that, but he knew he’d be wasting his time, so decided to change tack. ‘Can I be of any assistance with those plans?’ he asked, anticipating that a large retainer could be involved.

‘I need you to transfer one thousand pounds to a Billy Mumford who has an account at Barclays Bank in Little Hampton, Yorkshire.’

Booth Watson made a note.

‘I also need you to take ten thousand pounds out of my private account, because if my plan is going to work, I may well need some spare cash at a moment’s notice.’

‘For any particular reason?’ asked Booth Watson casually.

Miles, like a practised politician, answered his question with a question. ‘How is Mrs Warwick getting on with raising the amount needed to rescue Rembrandt’sAngelfor the nation?’

‘The government art fund has pledged a half a million to the cause, but won’t release their contribution until she’s raised the first five hundred thousand. So far she’s only managed to raise about two hundred, possibly two hundred and twenty thousand, depending on which paper you read—’

‘£223,500,’ interrupted Miles, ‘so she’s still £276,500 short of her target, and if she fails to raise the full amount by the end of the month, the drawing will come up for auction and probably fetch well in excess of a million.’

Booth Watson sat silently awaiting his instructions.

‘I want you to send a cheque to the Fitzmolean’s Rembrandt appeal fund for two hundred and fifty thousand. Make sure it appears to come from an anonymous donor and can’t be traced back to either you or me. I don’t think we’ll have to wait too long before the Fitzmolean announces they’ve raised the full amount, and the masterpiece will go on show to the public in the near future.’

‘So where does Billy Mumford fit into your plan?’ asked Booth Watson, still fishing.

‘He’s already playing his part,’ said Miles, once again not answering his question, ‘but I also need to know if Lamont is still on your payroll.’

‘I’ve kept the ex-Superintendent on a monthly retainer,’ said Booth Watson, ‘but he hasn’t done a lot to earn his stipend recently.’

‘Well, he’s about to do so,’ said Miles. ‘Without his particular skills, my plan will have no chance of working.’

‘Which particular skills do you have in mind?’ asked Booth Watson.

‘If I’m to pull off the switch unnoticed, I’ll need the ex-Superintendent to—’

The glass door opened. ‘Time’s up gentlemen,’ said the senior prison officer.