"Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen. When we have more information, we will release it as soon as we can."

Tommy blinked rapidly as a bright television light tried to scald his retina. The journalists were shouting questions and complaining about not being allowed into Landsborough Village. They had not accepted the official line about an unfortunate gas leak that had been the initial official response. It had not taken long for experiences news hounds to discover that the village was not connected to mains gas. Rumours began to circulate on SkyNews that something sinister was afoot. When the US channels picked it up, it soon became a choice between nuclear radiation leaks form a power plant or a mutant form of animal flu. CNN even suggested an Ebola breakout.

"Ebola?" Barbara said as Tommy entered the tent and threw his hat onto the desk.

Lynley had remained calm during the press conference, but now he was ready to explode. "That came from an American expert living in Gloucester who knew a nurse from Landsborough. Apparently she had returned from Africa last week."

"Africa is a big continent. Was she near The Congo?"

"Visiting friends in Capetown."

Barbara began to laugh. "Sorry, but..."

"Hmm. Easy to see you're not the one dressed like an organ grinder's monkey having to smile at the vultures."

Barbara turned away from him, so that her sniggering would be less apparent. She had a sudden urge to pet the monkey, and run her fingers through his hair. "Mmmm."

"Mmmm? I didn't want you to enjoy watching me suffer."

Barbara turned back. "Not suffer, no. But..."

"But what?" he snapped.

"You are very good at it. You look so... professional in your uniform."

"I'd rather stand there naked if it meant I was a detective again."

"Yeah, that'd be wonderful. Truly wonderful." She was back in Cambridge staring at his naked form in the shower. When she refocused, Tommy was looking quizzically at her. Sprung. "Er, if you were a detective again. That would be wonderful."

"Mmm." Tommy did not sound convinced, and had a slightly mischievous glint in his eye. She felt her face blushing, and knew he had, at least partially, read her thoughts.

It was another hour before they had any substantial leads. Fast-tracking the lab work, SOCO had confirmed that trace amounts of a weapons-grade biological agent had been found in the hall traced to an artificial flower arrangement near the entrance. Four random bodies selected for autopsy by Stuart had revealed the same cause of death. All had died from respiratory failure.

"It's exactly what I would expect." Stuart's voice crackled over the speaker phone. "The victims would have felt symptoms like the onset of flu before their lungs slowly shut down."

Barbara was relieved it was relatively painless. "So peaceful?"

"Yes, tiredness, yawning, a few aches and pains then probably sleepiness, unconsciousness then death. That's why most of them were still sitting in their seats."

"Any idea where the chemical came from?" Lynley asked, earning a stern look from Barbara to remind him of his role.

"East Germany."

Barbara frowned. "Sorry?"

"It was developed by the East German regime back in the 1960s as a biological weapon. Everyone thought all stocks had been destroyed. It seems not."

"Are you saying Landsborough was targeted by Communists from fifty years ago?" Winston asked.

"No, not directly. I am saying whoever did this had access to that material."

"Or knew how to make it." Everyone turned to look at Guthrie.

Barbara bit her lip in thought. "I'm not sure which is a scarier prospect. So, Stuart, any clues as to where to look for this stuff."

"Black market. Dark web. Everything is for sale if you know where to look. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue."

Barbara frowned. "Okay, thanks, Stuart. Ask around, if you learn anything more let me know. Winston, get onto the tech boys, see if they have any ideas about where to look. Guthrie, see what you can find out about the history of this stuff. Where it was developed, tested, disposed of etc. Anything about it. Also check if any groups have ever used it or threatened to, or have ever even mentioned it. I'm going to try to interview the colleagues of the first responder. Sir, maybe as Police Liaison, they would feel the love if you came along."

Tommy looked up and smiled. "If you think it will help."

"We'll reconvene in two hours. Then unless we have anything pressing, we should call it a night and start again first thing."

"Yes, ma'am," Guthrie said as the others nodded.

Barbara was happy for Tommy to drive as it gave her time to think. The enormity of the task was beginning to weigh on her shoulders.

"You handle the team very well."

"Huh? Oh... thanks. I just try to do whatever you didn't."

"Wh... haha."

She smiled at him. "Nah, I just think, what would you do, then do it. So, what would you do now?"

"What you're doing. We might have to consider involving MI6. We can see what we uncover first."

In a small station of only three officers there are no secrets. There is also no separation between work and life. The two remaining officers had been close mates of the constable who had investigated and later died.

"It could have been any of us that went," the young redheaded constable said.

"Bob just got the short straw. It's not fair. This is a quiet area. We don't even get drink drivers or speed problems here," his dark haired mate added.

"I know. I'm sorry, but we have to ask these questions. Was there anything about the call that seemed unusual?"

"Everything, but it sounded like a gas leak. We didn't know the hall was full. Turns out there was some sort of meeting about raising funds for the church roof. Who would want to target that?"

"Indeed," Barbara said, not wanting to speculate about militant atheists. "Anyone ever come to your attention regarding the town? Any grudges? Anyone in town you think might be a target?"

The officers shook their heads.

"What about residents?" Tommy asked. "Any known criminals? Anyone foreign living there?"

"Foreign?" the redhead asked, "you mean like someone from Wales?"

"Or anywhere?"

"Nah, not that I know of. Bill?"

"There was a German woman married to Mr Green. But she's in, or was in, her seventies. Other than that, no one I can think of."

Barbara scribbled Mrs Green's details in her notebook. "Well, thank you. Once again, I am sorry about your friend."

"Thanks," Bill replied.

Barbara glanced at Tommy. "There will be counselling available for everyone involved," he said gently, "we would recommend that you speak to them."

The men nodded, but Barbara knew they had no intention of talking to anyone. It was not the way things were done. "If you think of anything else, no matter how trivial, let me know."

After assurances that the men would, they walked back to the car. Tommy looked at her. "Survivor guilt."

She nodded. "Yeah, to be expected. Counselling was a good idea."

"We have arranged it for everyone involved."

"I didn't think you were a believer."

"I'm not. Not for me personally. I have too much guilt going too far back." Tommy smiled broadly.

His attempted humour fell a bit flat because she knew they truth, well at least the last decade of it. "Sir, you know I am always here."

Tommy's eyes shut briefly. "Get in the car, Inspector. You have a case to solve."

As soon as Barbara entered the tent, she knew Ben Guthrie was inside. The cloying odour of uncleaned public toilets seemed to have been absorbed by the canvas. "I'm getting him his own tent."

Tommy grunted. "Harsh, but fair. It's worse than a Mumbai sewer."

"You've been I suppose. No, don't even tell me."

Winston looked up and called them over. He had set himself up at a desk at the other end of the 30' x 20' temporary command centre. "Ma'am."

"I hate that. I wish he'd call me Barbara."

"He had you as a role model, Pot."

"What? Oh, mmm. That was different."

"Why?"

She frowned. "Because... it just was, alright."

"No. One day, you will call me Tommy. If it takes me until my deathbed."

They exchanged equally stubborn glares. Barbara thought of one situation where she would happily call him by name. She blushed and saw the satisfaction in his eyes. If only she knew what he was thinking. She turned. "Yes, Winston?"

"The tech guys found an online recipe for the stuff and it's scarily easy to make."

"What sort of site was it on?"

"A Neo-Nazi network."

"Oh, great. Fascists using communist chemical weapons. Just what we need. Did you tell Guthrie?"

"Yeah, he can give you the technical details. Seems all the East German stuff was destroyed. Encased in concrete and dropped deep sea. We're convinced this stuff is newly manufactured."

"I'm not sure if that's good news or bad. Any clues where?"

"The post was on a page with a dot gl marker."

"Dot gl? Where's that?"

"Greenland."

"Greenland? The one up north with polar bears?"

Winston frowned and Tommy laughed. Barbara had forgotten he was standing there. "Are there other Greenlands, Barbara?" he asked.

"No, but...," She turned back to Nkata. "Do you think it is made up there?"

"Possibly. It's a great spot to do something in secret. I checked, and their capital only has about 56,000 people. It's only the size of Canterbury. Minus the Cathedral of course."

"Great we have potential Neo-Nazi Inuits attacking a Cotswolds village. Any obvious links?"

"What about Mrs Green?" Tommy asked.

Winston looked up. "Who's Mrs Green?"

Barbara quickly explained what they had learnt. "Not much to go on. Constable Guthrie, can you come over here please?"

"Oh, great, thanks a lot," Winston mumbled.

Barbara quickly updated Guthrie. "So, Ben, what can you tell us to cheer us up?"

"Nothing." He must have seen her displeasure because he continued quickly. "Nothing to cheer you up, but I have tracked down the two main chemists who created it."

Barbara tried not to tap her foot. "Yes?"

"One is buried outside Berlin. He suicided when the wall came down. Or that's the official story anyway. The other moved to Denmark."

"Can we involve any more of Europe? Did you contact Interpol?"

"Yes. Not much joy unless we can show cause. We need a warrant here to activate one internationally."

"Inspector."

Barbara turned to Tommy and frowned. "Yeah?"

"Denmark and Greenland."

"What am I missing?"

"Greenland was Denmark's protectorate for many years. They still provide about half their revenue as aid."

"So it was their colony?"

Tommy nodded. "Since 1814, but it has been self-ruled since the 1970s, so more like a constitutional monarchy country within our Commonwealth."

"Right, but easy access then for... what this scientist's name?"

Guthrie smirked a little. "Bernhardt Zimmermann Schweindiener."

"Seriously?" Winston said, "no wonder he grew up wanting to kill the world."

Barbara tried not to laugh, even if Winston had said what she had thought. She was the Inspector now, so she frowned at her sergeant who just grinned and shrugged. Then she felt a hand squeeze her shoulder.

"If my limited German serves me correctly, Zimmermann means carpenter and Schweindeiner sounds like pig servant." Tommy's voice was so close that the vibrations tickled the back of her neck. She closed her eyes. She had to focus. She stepped away.

"Okay. So where is Mr Pig Servant right now, Guthrie? Any ideas?"

"No ma'am. I'm waiting to hear back from the Danish Police."

"Okay. Well, it's getting late and tomorrow will be busy. I suggest we eat then get to bed. Be back here ready to go at seven. Any questions?"

"No ma'am," they echoed.

She turned and glared at Tommy who had been part of the chorus. She waited until the other moved away. "Enough from you, thank you very much."

"I like a decisive woman." Barbara frowned but hard trouble not smiling. Tommy ignored her and put his arm over her shoulder. "Let's get dinner."