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‘You’re not getting it, Poe. Even if you do your thing and scrape through a not guilty, anyone who counts will think Estelle got away with murder. How do you think she’ll cope with that?’

‘Not well,’ he admitted.

She took a moment then said, ‘And despite the overwhelming evidence, you’re convinced she didn’t kill her father?’

‘I am.’

‘Why?’

‘Because she asked for me.’

‘Not good enough, Poe,’ Flynn said. ‘You two have a lot of time in the bank. She’ll have known you’d drop everything and come running. She could simply be allaying your suspicions by asking you to do what she knew you would do anyway.’

He hadn’t considered that. Then he felt bad he’d doubted Doyle, even for a second.

‘She didn’t do it,’ he said. ‘She made no attempt to explain anything away and she’s far too intelligent to leave as much evidence as she allegedly did. She’s being set up by someone who doesn’t understand that sometimes less is more.’

‘OK,’ Flynn sighed. ‘If it helps, I don’t think she did it either. But you say she’s been crudely set up, I say she’s beeneffectivelyset up. The evidence against her isn’t open to interpretation. A first-year CPS barrister could take the jury on a logical journey that ends with Estelle Doyle shooting her father.’

‘I have my work cut out,’ Poe agreed. ‘What’s happening in London?’

‘We’re waiting for confirmation the neurotoxin was in the wine. CSI have almost finished with Cummings’s flat so we’ll be allowed in tomorrow afternoon. I’ll need you back by then.’

‘I need to stay here.’

‘We’re not having this discussion, Poe. Right now there’s nothing you can do. Speak to the solicitor tomorrow then get down here.’

Poe said nothing.

‘Look, I’m not stupid,’ Flynn said. ‘I know you’re going to work this, but I need you doing your job as well. If you manage your time, there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t do both.’

‘Can I borrow Tilly?’

‘Sorry, Poe, I can’t take resources away from a legitimate investigation to help in a personal matter. I just can’t. People could die.’

He sighed. She was right, of course.

‘But … you know as well as I do,’ Flynn continued, ‘I can’t tell Tilly what to do in her spare time.’

‘And if you tried she’d ignore you.’

‘I swear you two are why I keep finding grey pubes.’

The line went dead.