It was a lead as flimsy as the untidy wire mesh fence between himself and the edge of the cliff. If you stumbled and fell into it, that fence would only break your fall somewhat; you’d continue on, sliding down that steep slope and landing in an undignified heap somewhere near the bottom of it. He recognised the moment of self-doubt as an occupational hazard. In a long investigation there can be plenty of them, especially when your instincts and hunches are directing the work of many officers and spending hundreds of thousands of pounds. On this occasion the costs would only be a footnote in
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