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the role – well, we both did, but I took the first interview. We’re always on the lookout for new talent here, the brightest and the best. Michael was pretty well established in his old firm, but he was looking for more responsibility, something a bit more challenging.”
    Olbeck nodded encouragingly.
    “Anyway,” Hargreaves went on. “He got the job. He was far and away the best candidate, hands down.”
    “What was he like?” asked Kate, thinking she should speak, finally.
    “Like?” Hargreaves looked confused.
    “Yes. What did you think of him? Personally, as opposed to professionally, I mean.”
    “Well… I—“ Hargreaves looked a little confused. “He was a nice bloke, I suppose. Bit quiet.”
    “He was quiet,” broke in Dorsey. The others in the room looked at him and he went on, unruffled. “He was quiet but he wasn’t shy. He had one of those personalities that grow on you. He had… character, I suppose you would say. To use an old-fashioned term.”
    Hargreaves looked at his partner with an expression that Kate couldn’t quite place. It was half admiration, half something else. Impatience? Irritation?
    “I see,” said Olbeck, nodding. “Was Mr Frank well-liked in the company? Did he mix well, make friends?”
    The two directors looked at one another. Hargreaves almost, but not quite, shrugged.
    “I don’t know,” Dorsey said, after a moment. “I certainly don’t think he was dis liked. Unfortunately, he wasn’t here long enough for me really to be able to make a judgement on his popularity, poor man.”
    “Did you have a lot of contact with him, day to day? Both of you, I mean?”
    Hargreaves nodded.  “A fair amount. We had weekly meetings of the exec team – the executive team, I mean – and Michael was part of that. Ad-hoc meetings during the week, as and when were needed. Budget meetings once a month. Is that the sort of thing you mean?”
    Olbeck nodded. “It all helps to build a picture. We’ll need to speak to any of the staff who worked closely with him, who reported to him, worked under him, you get the picture. Would you be able to take us down to where he worked?”
    Dorsey claspe d and then unclasped his hands. “We can, Inspector. It’s—” He hesitated for a moment and glanced across at Hargreaves. “These are the areas of… well, animal experimentation. If you get distressed by that sort of thing…”
    Kate refrained from pointing out that they were here to investigate the brutal murder of a human being. She waited for Olbeck to answer and , when he didn’t, said crisply “I’m sure we’ll take it in our stride, sir.”
    “There’s very little actual experimentation here,” Hargreaves said quickly. “But that’s what the media and the protestors are all over, of course.”
    “That’s something else we’ll need to talk to you about,” Olbeck said. “I see you’ve got fairly good security on site but what with the bombing, this is clearly not enough. Is there someone we could talk to about that, as well?”
    Dorsey nodded. “I’ll ask our Head of Security to come up now. He’ll be able to take you through the set up here, and you’ll be able to ask any questions that you want.”
    “Fine,” said Olbeck.
    They were shown back into another plush meeting room, with a crystal carafe of water and two glasses placed before them on the table by the receptionist, who barely nodded in response to Kate’s thanks. Olbeck’s phone buzzed.
    “Damn it,” he said, checking it. “I need to head back after this meeting. Anderton wants me on a conference call.”
    “Oh?” said Kate. She was conscious of a spurt of something that felt suspiciously close to jealousy. Why did Anderton want Olbeck on a call and not her?
    Because he’s a DI, Kate. And you’re not. She clamped down on the thought, telling herself it didn’t matter.
    “What about interviewing his co-workers?” she asked. “Want me to do that?”
    “No, that can wait until tomorrow.