CHAPTER 7
SCOTLAND YARD, VICTORIA EMBANKMENT, LONDON, UK
Shepherd looked in disbelief at her fellow detective inspector. “Come on, Jacob, you don’t seriously consider this death to be by natural causes?” Vance didn’t. He was playing devil’s advocate; also, he enjoyed challenging Brittany’s certainties.
“Doctor Tremethyk was quite clear that there is no scientific evidence of foul play.”
“Jacob, you’ve built your career on the principle of not believing in coincidences. This death is rife with them—”
“Go on.”
“The victim matches the Tebbit profile, mid-twenties, white, office worker. He died of a heart attack, and we know that is what hydrogen cyanide poisoning provokes.”
“Hydrogen cyanide, of which there was no trace in his blood.”
“Only because the body remained undiscovered for t
