It was a rainy and overcast April morning as the brown 1976 Mark 4 Ford Cortina sedan parked up on the offside of Aylmer Road, a few meters down from the junction with Leytonstone High Road. The four men in the vehicle sat in silence as the engine slowly ticked over and the windscreen wipers swept away the rain. The men were dressed in blue coveralls, heavy black donkey jackets and leather driving gloves. The heat from their bodies was making the windows mist up and the musty odor of sweat filled the car. The man in the back opened his window a couple of inches and the two men in the front used their jacket sleeves to wipe the condensation off the windscreen, so they could get a better view of Barclays Bank on the far side of the High Road. The bank manager was holding an umbrella as he opened the large wooden front doors for business at 9:30. Smartly dressed in a three-piece gray pinstripe suit, white shirt, and tie, he stood to one side to let two customers in, and looked up the High Road, which was quieter than usual for a Thursday morning due to the bad weather.

As the manager turned and walked back inside, the driver of the Cortina put a cap on and opened the car door. He hadn�t seen the elderly lady pulling a canvas shopping trolley along the pavement, and narrowly missed hitting her with the door. The lady swore at him, but the driver ignored her and pulled the peak of his cap down, before walking towards the bank.

As the old lady moved off, one of the men in the back of the Cortina reached under the driver�s seat and pulled out a twelve-bore, double-barreled, sawn-off shotgun. He pushed the unlocking lever to one side to �break� the gun, then placed a cartridge in each chamber. Holding the wooden stock of the gun with one hand, he snapped the barrel closed with a well-practiced upward flick of his wrist, then slid the shotgun into a home-made pocket inside his jacket.

Jane and her colleagues sat in silence as they waited anxiously to hear from the crew of Juliet 1.

�MP to Juliet 1, receiving, over?� the operator asked repeatedly, but there was no reply.

�Central 888 from 887, receiving...?�

Stanley�s voice came over the radio from the squad car behind them.

�Go ahead, Stanley,� Kingston replied.

�We�re going to head off to Bushwood Road, which runs along Wanstead Flats. All the back streets around Woodville Road lead to Bushwood so we might pick them up if they�re on foot or still in the Cortina.�

�Good thinking, Stanley. We�ll go to Woodville to see what�s happened to Juliet 1 and let you know if the suspect car�s been abandoned.�

�Central 888 and 887 from MP... Uniform patrol vehicles are also searching the area. Foot patrol officers are holding the scene at Barclays Bank and identifying witnesses. Two ambulances have been called there � one for an off-duty officer who was shot in the stomach and the other for three members of the public involved in a two-vehicle RTA during the incident.�

�How bad is the officer�s injury?� a concerned Kingston asked MP.

�We don�t have any current information on his condition. An ambulance has also been called to Woodville Road for the Juliet 1 officers as they�re not responding.�

�We�re nearly on scene, MP, and will give you a situation update on arrival,� Kingston said as Cam stopped the car just short of Woodville Road.

�Lie flat on the back seat, Tennison,� Kingston said as he and the Colonel withdrew their revolvers and got out of the vehicle.

�Are you going with them, Cam?� she asked, wondering if she was going to be left on her own.

�Like they said, I�m only the fucking driver � and apart from that I�m not firearms trained, so I�m happy to let them do the cops and robbers stuff.�

Jane couldn�t resist sitting up a bit to look out of the front windscreen. The rain had stopped, and she watched as the two officers crouched down behind a parked car at the corner of Woodville Road. The Colonel stood up, his gun raised, and, using the parked cars as cover, started to move down the road in a crouched position. Jane lost sight of them but was relieved there was no sound of gunfire. Cam picked up the radio and informed MP that two armed officers from Central 888 were now on foot in Woodville Road.

Within a few seconds the Colonel reappeared, took off his cap and waved it to signal the area was safe. As Cam drove into Woodville Road Jane noticed that the Colonel was totally bald, which surprised her for his age.

Cam pointed down the left side of the street.

�Bloody hell, Juliet 1 has crashed into the front of that house.�

Jane could see a plume of steam rising from the badly damaged police vehicle. Its sirens had stopped, but the blue light on top was still flashing and the front half of the vehicle was covered in brick and rubble from the bay window of the Victorian terraced house it had crashed into. A small elderly man was attempting to lift the unconscious driver out of the car but having difficulty. Kingston was by the front passenger door, trying to pull it open and get to the injured officer.

�Bring the crowbar from the motor, Cam!� he shouted.

Cam jumped out of the car. �I�m on it, Guv!� he shouted back, and ran to the boot of the car.

It was the first time Jane had got a proper look at Cam, who had a badly pockmarked face and receding dark brown hair. As he ran across the road to Kingston with the crowbar and a first aid box, the Colonel opened the passenger door and picked up the radio mike.

�Central 888 to MP. We are on scene in Woodville. Suspects have left in the Cortina and Juliet 1 has crashed into a house � the crew are injured and we�re attempting to extract them from the vehicle. Do you have an ETA for the ambulance?�

�About two minutes,� MP replied.

Jane got out of the car and surveyed the scene.

�Juliet 1 must have hit the bay window at high speed to cause that much damage.�

�No shit, Treacle,� the Colonel replied.

�I�d prefer �no shit, Sergeant�, Detective Constable Gorman,� Jane said lightly, to remind him of her rank and knowing �treacle tart� was cockney rhyming slang for �sweetheart.�

�There�s a woman with a baby sitting on a wall over there.� He pointed across the road near the crash site, but Jane couldn�t see her due to a parked car. �She looks pretty distressed and might have seen what happened. It would be helpful if you could have a chat with her... Sergeant,� he said pointedly, then ran across the road to assist Kingston and Cam.

Jane was frustrated by the fact that even seven years on from integration, many male officers still thought their female colleagues should only deal with women and children. She didn�t like the Colonel�s attitude but didn�t feel it was the time or place to challenge him about it. She was glad that DS Stanley was an old acquaintance as he would be able to tell her more about the officers on the squad, especially as the few she�d met so far seemed rude and intimidating.

By now uniform assistance had arrived. Jane instructed some officers to tape off both ends of Woodville Road and ask the people, who had come out of their houses and gathered on the street, if they had seen the incident and to obtain their names and addresses if they had. One resident, whose car was hit by the speeding Cortina, was arguing about who was going to pay for the damage and insisting the police should. A uniformed officer told him politely that he�d have to claim on his own insurance, which upset the man even more.

The uniformed driver was out of the crashed vehicle and being given first aid by the small elderly man, who it transpired was the owner of the damaged house. The officer had a bad cut to his head and scratches to his face caused by flying brickwork and glass that had smashed through part of the windscreen when the car crashed. His injury was bleeding heavily, but he was conscious and reasonably coherent. The Colonel introduced himself to the officer and told him an ambulance was on its way.

The PC looked worried. �My operator Gary was shot � is he OK?�

�I�ll be straight with you, mate, I don�t know yet. My governor and driver are trying to get him out of the car. As soon as I know, I�ll let you know, OK?�

The driver nodded. �Did the bastards get away?�

�Don�t worry about them � they won�t get far.�

The officer looked upset. �I tried to run the gunman down, but I missed.�

�You did a good job. Your motor�s a write-off so the Commissioner might be pissed off with you,� the Colonel joked.

The officer smiled. �You Sweeney lot are full of bullshit.�

The Colonel patted the officer�s shoulder. �That�s what I like to hear � a woodentop who respects us detectives. If you don�t mind, I think your mate needs me more than you do.�

Kingston and Cam tried in vain to jimmy open the front passenger door of the police car, but it was badly buckled from the crash and wouldn�t budge. There was structural damage to the building, and bricks and debris were still falling, so they had to get the officer out quickly rather than call the fire brigade to cut him out. Cam went inside the vehicle and held his jacket up against the passenger door window while Kingston smashed and cleared the glass away with the crowbar. They were then able to lift the officer, who was still unconscious, through the window, away from the car and damaged house.

�How is he?� the Colonel asked Kingston.

�His breathing is shallow and rasping � he might have damaged his ribs when the crash occurred. I can�t see any bullet holes in him, but he�s got a deep narrow wound to the right side of his head, which could be from a bullet.�

�The ambulance should be here soon.�

�Where�s Tennison?�

�Speaking to a woman who might be a witness. She got the right hump when I just called her �treacle�.�

Kingston laughed. �Well, that�s her nickname sorted then.�

As Jane watched the ambulance leave with the injured officers, she thought about the loud bang Abby had heard; if it wasn�t the sound of a shotgun, it had to be something else near the scene of the incident. As she walked towards the damaged house she noticed skid marks and bits of shredded car tire on the road. It reminded her of the time she was driving on the motorway and a tire on the car in front of her burst, leaving shredded bits all over the road. It struck her as unlikely that a tire on a police car would suddenly blow out, especially as the vehicles were checked daily by a civilian garage hand, but she suspected a bullet penetrating a tire could cause a blowout.

About eight meters past the crash site Jane saw a distinct skid mark veering from right to left across the road, which stopped just short of a parked car. She realized, from what Abby had told her, that the skid mark might have been caused when the getaway driver braked hard and came to an abrupt halt. She decided to inspect the area more closely and was walking towards it when she heard Kingston�s voice.

�What are you doing, Tennison?�

She turned around. �I was just following up on something a witness to the incident told me.�

�As the DI in charge of this case I�d prefer it if you consulted me first, then I�ll decide what action should or should not be taken by my officers.�

�Sorry, sir. I thought I might find some evidence for the investigation.�

�Are you a forensics expert?�

�No, but I�ve dealt with a number of murders and rapes during my service and have a good knowledge of major crime scenes��

�But no real experience with armed robbery scenes, firearms or GSR.�

�No, sir.�

She didn�t know what GSR was but didn�t want to appear uninformed by asking.

�What did the woman you spoke to have to say?�

Jane told him the woman was a young mother called Abby who had just turned seventeen. She got out her pocket notebook and started to brief Kingston on what Abby had told her, but he interrupted her again.

�Did the girl see their faces?�

�No, she saw two armed men get out of the car, but both were wearing masks. She�s a bright young girl and saw everything��

He interrupted again. �Is she willing to make a statement and give evidence in court.�

�Not at the moment, but��

�Then she�s not a lot of use to us, is she?�

�I think I could persuade her to make a statement, and we could always consider witness protection.�

Kingston shook his head. �I�m not gonna waste time wet-nursing some kid with a baby. Move on and see if you can find an adult who saw what happened.� He started to walk off.

�Something she said about the two men with guns was interesting...�

Kingston spun around. �What part of move on don�t you understand, Tennison?�

�Sorry, sir, I�ll see if there�s any adults who got a closer look than Abby did.�

�Don�t be flippant, Tennison. I�ve heard a few stories about you � some good, some not so good. I don�t doubt your enthusiasm, or abilities as a divisional detective investigating murders � but when it comes to the Flying Squad you�ve a lot to learn. We�re a specialized close-knit unit, not just because of the work we do, but also the dangers we face together. As you can see from the carnage of this morning�s events, the villains we deal with don�t play games and they hate the police with a vengeance � to them the only good cop is a dead cop.�

�I�m a quick learner and I believe I can be a positive addition to the squad, sir,� she said in her defense.

�That remains to be seen. Everyone of sergeant rank and above served on the Flying Squad as a DC prior to promotion... unlike you. Right now, you�re the rookie, not to mention the first female officer we�ve ever had.�

�I appreciate that, sir, but I don�t see my gender as a hindrance��

�Take my advice � if you want to fit in and get on, then best to just look, listen and learn for now.�

Jane suspected he was being polite, and what he really wanted to say was to keep her eyes and ears open and her mouth shut.

�Yes, sir, and thank you for the advice.�

He forced a smile. �Good, and cut the �sir� crap, please. It�s �guv� or �guvnor� when we�re on duty and �Stu� in the pub.�

The Colonel came over and spoke to Kingston.

�Stanley just radioed in � no one�s been able to find the Cortina. Looks like the robbers have gone to ground.�

Kingston sighed. �Any of the Woodville residents see anything?�

�Uniform lads have knocked on all the doors and spoken to the people who gathered in the street. No one saw what happened here, though some heard the crash and bangs before it, which was probably the guns going off.�

Jane wanted to say that Abby was the only witness, so trying to get her to make a statement would be beneficial, but she didn�t want to incur Kingston�s displeasure again. Kingston looked frustrated.

�They probably had a changeover vehicle nearby. Get on the radio and instruct the uniform cars and foot patrol officers to check the local estates and back roads for the Cortina. Call Stanley as well and tell him to drop Dabs off here to deal with this scene.�

�Shall I call a SOCO out to the bank scene if Dabs is coming here?�

Kingston nodded and told the Colonel to make sure it was a senior SOCO who had experience of examining armed robbery scenes. Jane assumed the nickname �Dabs� must have originated from the police slang for fingerprints. She asked Kingston if she would be going to the bank with him and the Colonel to take statements, but he said no as he wanted her to help Dabs.

�I take it you know how to fill in an exhibits book?� Kingston asked her.

�I�ve done it a few times, but on big cases like murders the Lab liaison sergeant did everything.�

�Well, we work differently on the Flying Squad, as time is of the essence at a crime scene. Dabs, our SOCO, is permanently attached to the team and one of our DCs always works alongside him at a robbery scene, helping to gather evidence and listing the exhibits. Even though you�re a DS it would be beneficial for you to assist Dabs on this case.�

Jane said she�d be happy to assist Dabs and Kingston walked off toward the squad car.

�Would you like me to brief Stanley when he gets here, guv?� she asked the Colonel.

�No, he and his crew will be joining me at the bank to interview the Securicor guards and other witnesses there,� he said without looking back.

She waited for him to leave and went to have a look at the area where the skid mark stopped just short of the parked car. As the sun broke through the clouds she noticed something glint by the side of the road next to the pavement. On closer inspection she could see it was a brass cartridge case, which must have come from the handgun the tall man had fired at the police car. Looking around she could see another cartridge case a couple of feet away, by the rear nearside tire of a parked car. Crouching down, she tilted her head to one side. Looking under the car, she could see two more cartridge cases. As she stood up and looked around she noticed two trails of blood drops, running between the skid mark and the middle of the road, where there were a number of drops confined to a small area, which meant the bleeding man had stood there.

�This is a crime scene, ma�am, you shouldn�t be this side of the tape,� a male voice said.

Jane saw a small man wearing glasses, whom she recognized as one of the passengers in the other Flying Squad car with Stanley. She knew he must be Dabs, as he was wearing latex gloves and carrying a scene of crime case and a camera over his shoulder. He was about five feet six inches tall, early thirties, with dark brown collar-length hair and long sideburns. He was dressed casually in a white shirt, blue jumper, gray trousers and black windcheater.

Jane held out her hand. �I�m WDS Jane Tennison. I�ve just started on the Flying Squad today.�

He shook her hand. �Pleased to meet you, Sarge. I�m Dave Morgan. DS Stanley mentioned you in the car earlier. We were all a bit surprised as no one knew you were joining the team � especially as you�re a woman.�

�Well, speaking as a woman, the day�s been quite a surprise for me too,� she said, forcing a smile and wondering if his �woman� remark was intentionally derogatory.

�Have you found something?�

She pointed to the two visible cartridge cases and told him there were another two under the car and blood drops on the road.

�From what a witness told me, the skid mark there is where the Cortina stopped sharply, then a man with a handgun got out and shot at the police car. If he was injured the blood trails might have come from him getting out and returning to the car.�

�Good spot, Sarge.� He got a swab out of his pocket and dabbed it in one of the blood spots and the end turned red. �And they�re fresh. I�ll take some photos and swabs of the blood... From the nearby position of the cartridges to the blood drops I�d say the gun was a semi-automatic. Do you know much about firearms forensics, Sarge?� he asked politely as he put his case down.

Jane knew a semi-automatic pistol ejected cartridges each time it was fired, but six-chamber Smith & Wesson revolvers, which the Flying Squad used, didn�t.

�A bit. I�ve dealt with major crimes involving guns, including a shooting murder scene � and post mortems where I assisted the lab liaison sergeant.�

�Who was the lab sergeant?�

�Detective Sergeant Paul Lawrence.�

Dabs�s eyebrows raised. �He�s a legend when it comes to crime scene examination. I met him at a lecture he did at training school, but sadly never had the privilege of working alongside him.�

He bent down and picked up one of the cartridge cases.

�Looks like a nine-millimeter Parabellum,� he observed.

�What�s a Parabellum?�

�It�s a type of bullet cartridge and Parabellum is Latin, meaning �prepare for war�, which is appropriate considering what happened here today.� Dabs showed her the base of the cartridge case. �See the markings on the bottom � that�s what we call the head stamp.�

Jane looked closer and could see the number 43, ST+ and DNH. She asked what the numbers and letters meant.

�The 43 is the year of manufacture, which is 1943. I�m not sure what ST+ means, but DNH is where the bullet was manufactured. However, the firearms section at the lab will be able to tell us more.�

�The cartridge is nearly forty years old � what sort of gun do you think it was fired from?�

�I don�t know... Again, that�s a job for the lab to determine. I�ve seen older ammo and nine-mill is used in different makes of revolvers and semi-automatics.�

�Will you be able to get fingerprints off the cartridge?�

He shook his head. �Unfortunately, no, when a gun is fired, the heat created has a destructive effect on any fingerprint evidence. Even unfired bullets are almost impossible to get a print off.�

�What�s GSR?� she asked, remembering Kingston referring to it.

�Gunshot residue. A plume of gas and GSR particles is ejected from the barrel of a gun when it�s fired, and the residue gets deposited on the skin and clothing of the person who fired the gun. It can also be found on the clothing of the victim, but that depends on how close they were to the gun when it was fired.�

�So, the suspect who fired the gun that left these casings will have GSR on them.�

�Yes, on his clothes for sure, but if he washes his hands and body then it�s gone from his skin. Whenever we arrest any suspects for armed robbery, we always Sellotape their hands for GSR and the lab examines the tapings under a scanning electron microscope to look for GSR as evidence they have fired, handled or been near a gun.�

�You know a lot about firearms and bullets,� Jane said respectfully.

�Enough to get me by, but the forensic scientists are the experts. If you fancy it, you can come to the lab with me when I submit the cartridge cases and other evidence for examination. I think you�d find the firearms section really interesting and informative.�

�I�d like that, thank you.�

She was warming to Dabs. His helpful, polite manner reminded her of Paul Lawrence.

�I�ve ordered a tow truck to remove the police car to the lab, then it can be examined for any bullets that may be lodged in it. We need to crack on and photograph the scene, then gather up the cartridge cases before it gets here.�

Dabs photographed the spent cartridge cases where they�d fallen, at a distance and close up, then left Jane to gather and package them while he photographed the skid marks and blood trail before taking some swabs, which he gave to Jane. As instructed by Dabs, she put the four cartridge cases into small individual plastic containers, then separate exhibits bags. She did the same with the four blood swabs and made a detailed entry in the exhibits book of the items seized, writing a description, date, time and place found.

�Will these be your exhibits or mine?� Jane asked Dabs when he returned.

�The squad detective always signs and numbers them as his.� He realized his error. �Or hers... Sorry, I meant you need to do that as the exhibits officer.�

Jane smiled. �It�s all right, I know what you meant.�

She signed the exhibits bags and put JT/1, 2, 3 and 4 on the ones containing the cartridge cases, and JT/5 to JT/7 for the blood swabs, as the reference numbers.

�If anyone gets arrested and goes to court, you�ll give evidence about where they were found and what forensics work they were submitted for,� Dabs told her, and he looked back up the road towards the crashed police car. �We won�t know how many bullets are in Juliet 1 until we examine it under cover at the lab.� He moved a few feet into the road. �The man with the handgun stood and fired about here, as the cartridge cases ejected to the right. We need to examine the parked cars on both sides of the road for any stray bullet holes, and check underneath them, as well as in the road, in case any bullets bounced off the police car.�

�Shall I do one side, while you check the other?� Jane asked.

�It�s probably better we do it together � as they say, two heads are better than one.�

Jane appreciated he was politely saying he didn�t want to risk her missing a bullet hole or indentation in one of the cars. They started on the left-hand side and found nothing on, or under, the cars they looked at. They were having the same result on the opposite side of the road until they reached a silver two-door Ford Fiesta hatchback parked nearest to the crash site. Dabs pointed to the tarmac by the front of the vehicle.

�See the pool of water there...? You notice anything unusual about it?�

Jane thought his remark odd.

�No. What�s unusual about a pool of water after it�s been raining?�

�It�s a rusty brown color, like you sometimes get from a leaky car radiator.�

She realized what he was thinking. �And if something�s leaking it must have a hole in it.�

�Exactly, and in this case the hole might have been caused by a bullet.�

He put on some latex gloves, then took a picture of the Fiesta with the camera he was still carrying over his shoulder.

Jane looked closely at the front of the car.

�I can�t see a bullet hole anywhere.�

He crouched down and put his right index finger between two of the grille slats.

�That�s because these are wide enough apart for a bullet to pass between without hitting the grille.� He crouched further and looked under the car. �There it is.� He held the camera at ground level and took some photographs.

Jane crouched down and could see a small cylindrical silver object, which she realized must be a bullet.

�Looks like it lost velocity when it passed through the radiator, then it hit the engine block and fell to the floor.�

He got on his hands and knees and started to lower himself to the road to get to the bullet.

�You�ll get your clothes dirty � shall I look for a stick or something to get it out with?�

He didn�t stop what he was doing as he lay on the road and reached under the car.

�No, we never do that, or use tweezers to pick up bullets. The last thing you want to do is mark or damage them in any way.� He picked up the bullet, then stood up and showed it to her. �Although it�s squashed a bit at the top it�s in reasonable condition.� He held the bullet flat in the palm of his hand. �There�s marks on it left by the rifling inside the barrel of the gun.�

He pointed to some tiny linear marks and asked Jane to put on some latex gloves and hold the bullet, so he could take some close-up photographs of it.

Jane thought they looked like scratches and asked him what he meant by rifling.

�A firearms expert would be able to explain it better, but basically every gun barrel is rifled during manufacture. The rifling process creates spiral grooves that run along the barrel and improve a bullet�s accuracy as it rotates during flight. A fired bullet goes out through the barrel and ends up with mirrored markings on it, which match the rifling on the inside of the barrel... Am I making sense?�

�Yes, I think so. The principle sounds the same as striation marks left on bones when a body is cut up,� she said, remembering a case she had had where a body was dismembered with a hacksaw by a dentist.

�That�s right, if somewhat gruesome. There are several methods used in rifling a barrel, which in turn makes a revolver or semi-automatic unique in its own way...�

�Like a sort of fingerprint?� she asked.

He nodded, and she continued.

�So, if we recover the gun that fired the bullet, the barrel can be examined to see if the rifling marks on the bullet are the same.�

�Sort of, but not quite like you described. The lab will test fire the suspect gun in water, then compare the test bullet against the ones recovered from the scene of the shooting. If the markings on the test bullet match the suspect ones, then you know you have the gun that was used in the robbery. But even if we don�t recover a gun, the marks on this bullet can help identify the type and model of firearm that was used.�

�How do they test fire in water?� she asked, imagining someone in a swimming pool firing a gun at a target.

�You�ll see when you come with me to the lab, so I won�t spoil it by explaining.�

He reached into his jacket pocket and brought out a small round plastic container in which he placed the damaged bullet. Handing it to Jane, she put it in an exhibits bag, then signed and marked the bag JT/8. She also entered the details in the exhibits book.

�What about the skid marks � will they be of any use for tire impressions?� she asked.

�I�ve already photographed them, though they won�t be a lot of use unless we find the car the robbers were in � even then it was probably a nicked or ringed motor. Ideally, we�d need evidence like their fingerprints, or fibers from their clothing inside the vehicle, to physically put them in it...�

�A young girl I spoke to, who witnessed the incident, said the two men she saw get out of the Cortina wore masks and gloves; they were also dressed the same in donkey jackets and blue coveralls.�

�That�s your standard outfit for an armed blagger these days. Bank robbers are often forensically aware, having been nicked before, but they�re not as bright as they like to think they are and make mistakes. You only have one crack at examining a scene like this as you can�t seal the street off for ever. If you miss anything of evidential value, no matter how small, it could hinder the investigation.�

�What about informants? Do you get many cases where someone tells you who�s responsible for an armed robbery?�

�Sometimes, but I don�t get involved in that side of squad work as I�m just a SOCO. As I see it, criminals grass on each other for a variety of reasons, such as money or to remove a rival. Being a police informant is a highly dangerous occupation which can get you killed.�

�I�ve never had a registered informant, but sometimes people I arrested told me �off the record� who else was involved to get a reduction in their own sentence at court.�

�Well, if you want to get on in the Flying Squad you�ll be expected to cultivate informants. A lot of the lads on the squad have them and their information has led to pavement arrests during the commission of armed robberies.�

�How does the team feel about the Operation Countryman investigation?�

Jane knew some Flying Squad officers had been arrested in the investigation into police corruption in London.

�Thankfully no one at Rigg has been arrested or interviewed on suspicion of corruption by the Sweedy��

�Did you say the Sweedy?�

�Yeah, it�s what the squad guys call the officers on Countryman. They�re all from Hampshire and Dorset, which are rural forces, and the name �Sweedy� comes from the vegetable swede.�

Jane grinned. �I�ve heard county officers referred to as �carrot crunchers�, but never �Sweedy�.�

�The latest I heard was the officer in charge of Countryman is alleging that the investigation is being willfully obstructed by Commissioner McNee and the Director of Public Prosecutions. McNee wants all the Countryman evidence to be passed to the Met and dealt with by its own internal investigation unit, A10.�

�I�ve been interviewed by the �rubber heelers� myself.�

She used a police term that had come about because you can�t hear the internal investigation officers coming due to the rubber heels on their shoes.

Dabs looked surprised. �Have you?�

�Not for corruption, I hasten to add. One was a case when I was a probationer and the other more recent, when a dentist who murdered four people committed suicide. Thankfully I was only given some words of advice and a slap on the wrist in both cases.�

�I remember reading about the murders in Peckham Rye about a year ago and the press kept using the headline �Murder Mile�. I couldn�t believe a Harley Street dentist was responsible.�

�Believe me, neither could I, and the monster evaded a life sentence by killing himself.�

The tow truck for the police car arrived and Jane watched as Juliet 1 was slowly pulled out of the rubble by a winch cable. The elderly owner of the house stood watching with a solemn expression as more bits of the bay window gave way and fell on the front of the car. Once it was safely extracted, and a safe distance from the house, they cleared the debris from the car. Dabs pointed to a bullet hole in the bonnet. He tried to open it, but was unable to due to the damage from the crash.

�From the entry point it�s probably lodged in the air filter. Hopefully we�ll find it at the lab or in the house rubble when we sift through it.�

Part of the front windscreen, on the passenger side, was still intact but covered with fractures that looked like large spiders� webs. Dabs pointed to a one-centimeter circular hole in the windscreen.

�That�s a bullet hole as well.�

He got in the car to look for any bullets.

After a few minutes he came out holding the front passenger headrest and showed it to Jane. She saw some of the white headrest padding protruding from holes on either side of it. As Dabs got the car keys from the ignition, he said a bullet had penetrated the windscreen, then hit the right side of the radio operator�s head, before passing through the headrest and into the rear seat, and was probably somewhere in the boot.

�Even though the bullet would have lost velocity when it passed through the windscreen, the officer was lucky it didn�t hit him straight in the forehead and kill him.�

He opened the boot of the car and looked inside. He had a big smile as he photographed the bullet, then picked it up and showed it to Jane.

�That one�s in even better shape than the bullet we recovered under the car,� she observed.

She took the bullet from him and put it in a plastic container and then an exhibits bag.

Cam was outside the bank, speaking to MP on the car radio and making notes as Kingston returned to the vehicle.

�Can you give me the location again, Central 888, over?�

�It�s Edgar House off Blake Hall Road. The garages are at the rear of it.�

�Thanks, MP. DI Kingston is with me now, so I�ll update him.�

Cam replaced the radio mike on its clip.

Kingston heard the last bit of the radio conversation and looked pleased.

�Have they found the Cortina?�

Cam handed him the pocket notebook.

�Possibly. The fire brigade got called out to a garage on fire at Edgar House, which they�re still dousing down. They found a vehicle inside it on fire, which they think might be a Mark 4 Cortina.�

�Any index?�

�I asked, but apparently the number plates have melted.�

�Do we know who owns the garage?�

�Not yet. The location is just over a mile away and there�s a uniform officer on scene who spoke to the fire brigade and radioed it in. Shall I get MP to tell him to start making enquiries re the garage owner?�

Kingston shook his head. �No, go back to Woodville Road, then take Dabs and Tennison to Edgar House. He can examine the burnt Cortina while she organizes the house-to-house enquiries about the garage. Call in uniform assistance and tell Tennison she�s in charge. I also want to know if any of the residents saw anyone coming or going from the garage, not just today but in the last two weeks.�

�She�s just started on the squad, Guv. I can run the H to H if you��

�She�s a bloody DS and worked on murders, so she should be capable of supervising house-to-house.�

�There�s over a hundred flats there, so it might take a few hours to��

Kingston was becoming irritated. �You can help Tennison, but I want it done today. Me and the Colonel will get a lift back to the Rigg with Teflon and his crew in 887.� He looked at his watch. �I�m calling an office meeting for three. Bring Tennison and Dabs back with you, as I want everyone on the team there.�

�We might get a tip-off about who was responsible,� Cam suggested, trying to cheer Kingston up.

�In my opinion these guys are professionals, and from the way they operate, a tip-off seems about as likely as me winning the pools.�

Jane helped Dabs hold the garage door while PC Turner removed the rivets from the front of the lock.

�You should button up your coat. Your clothes are getting soot on them from the garage door,� Dabs told her.

She looked down and saw black streaks on her white blouse, blue jacket and skirt. She knew there was no point in trying to brush them off as it would only make the marks worse. She�d have to wait until she got back to the station to try and clean them off.

�It�s about time the job issued some sort of protective clothing for this type of work,� she remarked.

�As Scene of Crime Officers, we�re issued with waterproof leggings and a coat, but they make you sweat so much it�s not worth the bother of wearing them. I always keep a change of clothes at work in case I get dirty at a crime scene.�

�As this is my first day on the squad I didn�t think to bring in any casual clothes.�

�I wouldn�t worry about it too much. Apart from the governors, no one dresses smart on the squad � it�s not the type of work where you want to stand out as a detective.�

�Do they have a women�s locker room at Rigg?�

Dabs laughed. �There�s a locker room, men�s toilets and a shower in the basement, as well as a small gym area with some weights, a punchbag and boxing gloves. Some of the lads like to keep fit with an early morning workout, especially the Colonel, as you probably noticed from his physique. Personally, I�m not into all that keep fit stuff. Snooker�s my sport and I play for the Met team.�

�No ladies� toilets then?� she asked, not relishing the thought of sharing with the men.

�There�s a loo on the top floor that KP has labelled �ladies only�.�

�Who�s KP?�

�Katie Powell, the office clerk, also known as �Nuts�. She thinks it�s because her initials are the same as the peanut brand, but some of the lads think she is nuts.�

�Why�s that?� she asked, deducing KP was the woman she�d spoken to over the intercom when she first arrived at the squad office that morning.

�KP�s pedantic about the office being neat and tidy, she checks every bit of paperwork to make sure it�s written up, filed and labelled correctly. If you�re one penny out on your weekly expenses claim, she�ll make you type the whole form out again instead of just using Tipp-Ex to correct the error. You�d think the money was coming out of her own bank account, not the Commissioner�s.�

�A good filing system isn�t a bad thing if you�ve got a big investigation running; it makes the paperwork easier to find.�

�Don�t get me wrong, she�s good at her job but likes to think she knows best all the time � and she�s a bit of an arse-licker around the governors.�

�How do you mean?�

�Yes, sir, no, sir, three bags full, sir � especially with Kingston, who she worked for as the CID clerk when he was at Tottenham nick.�

�How long�s Kingston been on the squad?�

�Since he was promoted to DI, which was just over a year ago, but he was also a DC and DS on the squad before that. He�s as hard as nails, knows his stuff and is well respected. He was a good boxer in his day and won the Met�s Lafone Cup.�

�To be honest, I�m not into boxing. I don�t see the point in two men trying to knock each other out.�

�Are you the first woman to be attached to the Flying Squad?� PC Turner interjected.

�Yes, and no doubt you are amazed as everyone else seems to be � but please, I�m not in the mood for any more wisecracks about it.�

�Actually, I was going to say you�ve done well for yourself.�

Jane was surprised. �Oh, thank you...�

�My wife�s a WPC in the job at Plaistow on K division. She was in the Women�s Police before it became integrated with the men in 1973, so I know first-hand how hard it is for women to get on in the police force. She�s applied three times for the Advanced Driver Course and been turned down. I�m an advanced driver myself and have given her lessons, so I know for a fact she�s up to it, and as capable as any male drivers � it�s just prejudice because she�s a woman.�

Jane smiled. �I�ve no doubt you�re right, PC Turner.�

�Well, for what it�s worth, I say give as good as you get. My wife does � even at home!� He laughed as he prised the garage door lock off and handed it to Jane. �Good luck with your investigation and I�ll ring your office in the morning with the result of my examination on the Cortina�s ignition barrel.�

She and Dabs thanked PC Turner for his help. As he left, the low-loader turned up to take the burnt-out Cortina to the car pound. While Dabs spoke to the truck driver, Jane decided to have a look in Selsdon and Felstead Road, to see if there were any parking restrictions and if the robbers could have parked a changeover car there.

As she walked off the estate into Blake Hall Road she noticed a four-storey block of flats opposite, called the Mallards, of which at least forty overlooked the entrance to Edgar House. Similarly, there was also Harley Court, next to the Mallards, which was a three-storey block of about forty flats on the corner of Blake Hall Road and Selsdon Road. She could see that some of the flats also overlooked part of Felstead Road and realized that the house-to-house enquiries would have to be widened, in case anyone in the other flats had seen the two men with a duffle bag or anything suspicious that might help the investigation. She made some notes in her pocket notebook to give PC Murray, beginning to wonder why he had been told by Kingston to organize the house-to-house enquiries.

Jane crossed over into Selsdon Road and saw there were fourteen garages at the rear of Harley Court, and none of them were numbered. She spoke to a middle-aged male resident she saw coming out of the rear of the flats, who said the council owned the garages and rented them out, some to people who didn�t even live in Harley Court. Jane made another note in her pocket notebook that this would also need to be followed up with the council, as any changeover car could have been left in one of these garages.

As Jane crossed Blake Hall Road towards Felstead Road she noticed the position of the bus stop, and an island in the middle of the road. She thought to herself that if the two men had parked a changeover car at the rear of Harley Court, they would have crossed the road before passing the bus stop and not been in the position they were when the elderly lady saw them. The first five meters on either side of Felstead Road had double yellow lines and then the parking was unrestricted. The sides and back garden fences of numbers 21 and 23 Blake Hall Road ran along Felstead Road for about thirty meters on either side, which meant that stretch of the road was not really overlooked, other than through a couple of side windows at 21 and 23 Blake Hall Road. Jane thought it seemed a likely place to leave a changeover car parked inconspicuously, as a short distance up the road there were rows of large semi-detached Edwardian style houses with driveways and street parking that was overlooked by the residents.

She remembered the sergeant mentioning the witness thought one of the men was smoking a cigar, and looked around for any recently discarded cigar and cigarette butts. There was no sign of any cigars, only a few butts from different cigarette brands that looked quite old.

�I thought you wanted me and my officers to do the house-to-house in Felstead Road.�

Jane looked up and saw the sullen-faced uniformed sergeant and three of his officers standing behind him.

�I do � I was just checking out the street to see what it was like for parking access as it�s possible the robbers had a changeover car.�

�Some of my lads needed to get off home, so there�s just the four of us left to do the house-to-house until the late turn lads show up. It might take a bit longer than three hours� overtime��

She knew what he was after.

�All right, make it four hours, but just do as much as you can at Edgar House and the houses on this side of Blake Hall Road for now. I�ll need to speak to DI Kingston about extending the house-to-house to cover the flats at the Mallards and Harley Court. I take it you�ve finished at Edgar?�

�Not yet, and there�s been no reply at quite a few flats.�

�Did anyone say anything of interest or that�s worth following up?� she asked, wondering if the sergeant was being intentionally difficult.

�Nope � except for an old woman who saw the two men in Blake Hall Road...�

�I know, you already told me about her. Did no one you spoke to know who owned garage twenty-nine?�

�Yeah, a lady one of the lads spoke to said she thought the man at number forty owned it, but she hadn�t seen him about for a while.�

�Did anyone knock on his door?�

�I don�t know��

Jane was amazed at the sergeant�s incompetence.

�You don�t know? Did you even bother to get a description of the man at number forty?�

�If you�d let me finish, I was going to say I told ADC Murray about him��

�It�s PC Murray. Where is he now?�

He held up a blue folder. �I don�t know. If I did I�d have given him these completed house-to-house forms.� He handed Jane the folder. �I�m not responsible for Murray. He�s on your squad � so you are... Unless there�s anything else I can help you with, I�ve work to do.�

Jane was getting frustrated by his nonchalant attitude. She looked at her watch and saw it was nearly two o�clock.

�Seeing as the late shift officers should be here soon, we�ll make that two hours� overtime, Sergeant. Just do the houses in Blake Hall Road � late shift can do Felstead and Selsdon.�

As she walked off towards Edgar House, a disgruntled PC shook his head.

�Well done, Sarge. A poxy two hours� overtime is hardly worth the effort.�

It was raining again as Dabs opened the security gate to the rear of the building so Cam could drive in and park up.

�It would make it a damn sight easier if they left the bloody gate open while the office is manned,� Cam moaned.

Jane said nothing as she handed Cam the house-to-house folder, then got the bag of exhibits from the boot of the car and ran across the yard to join Dabs. He was entering the number code on the rear entrance keypad. She put the bag down, got out her pocket notebook and pen and asked him what the code was.

�They�re easy to remember. It�s 1066 for the front door and gate and 1812 for the back � Battle of Hastings and the Battle of Waterloo,� Dabs told her, entering the numbers.

But when he turned the handle nothing happened.

�Waterloo was 1815, you dunce,� said Cam, as he pushed past Dabs and Jane to enter the right code.

�Sorry, I was listening to Tchaikovsky�s 1812 Overture while I was driving to work this morning.�

�You like classical music then?� Jane asked.

�Yes, very much. I quite often go to concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.�

�It soothes the savage beast in him.�

Cam smirked as he shoved the door open and entered the building. He made no effort to hold the door open, and as it was on a hinged spring, it would have hit Jane if Dabs hadn�t put his hand out just in time.

�Where�s your manners, Cam?� Dabs said, as he held the door open for her.

Cam mumbled an apology, said he needed a �Jimmy Riddle� and turned left to go down the concrete and worn green lino-covered stairs to the basement toilets.

The hallway and stairwell walls were painted a puke green, which couldn�t disguise the patches of mold, and a damp smell filled the air. Jane was a bit surprised to find the interior of the building was in a worse condition than any police station she�d worked in before.

�Sorry about Cam � he can be a right surly git at times. He gets frustrated at not being involved in the investigative side of things. Mind you, he is a good driver.�

�You don�t need to apologize for Cam�s behavior. If he wants to be an investigator he should apply to become a detective and stop moaning.�

Dabs put his hand on Jane�s arm.

�Mind you don�t slip on that wet patch. We�ve got a leaky roof, which was supposed to have been repaired weeks ago, and some of the stairs to the top floor are a bit wet as well. The cleaner does her best to keep on top of it, but she can�t predict the rain unfortunately.�

�Was this building ever a working police station?�

�No, it used to be an office block with a woodwork factory on this floor where they made doors. The company went bust and the building lay empty until the Met bought it specifically for the Flying Squad a few years ago. As you can see, it needs some repair work and a lick of paint, but it�s much better upstairs in the squad office.�

�Who uses the downstairs?�

�The surveillance team � though one section of it is used as a lock-up for the exhibits we seize during our investigations.�

�What � like guns and ammunition?�

�Yes, among other things. They go up to the firearms unit lab first for examination and when they�ve finished with them we store them here.�

�The building doesn�t look very secure,� Jane said, having seen the outside in the morning.

�Believe me, it is, especially the exhibits room, which has an alarm linked to central control at the Yard. We had a case a year ago where a criminal did try and break in. He wanted to get the gun he used in a robbery so there was no evidence against him, but he was caught in the act and got an extra three years on his sentence when he was found guilty.�

Jane followed Dabs up the flight of stairs to the top floor landing, which was decorated similarly to the ground floor, though the mold on the walls and smell of damp were not so pronounced.

�Through the first door on the right there�s a small kitchen area with a fridge, electric cooker and a kettle. Would you like a coffee?�

Jane said she was fine and Dabs continued.

�Next to it is the ladies� toilet.� Dabs pointed to a door that had an A4 sheet of paper taped to it and KP�s TOILET written in large black letters. �She�ll have to add JT to that notice now,� he joked, and Jane smiled. �The squad office is down the end on the left and opposite is my office with all my equipment and a forensic examination area. Though I do go into the main office quite a bit for a chat and office meetings.�

�How many are on the team?�

�Not including the surveillance team, there�s twelve in total. Ten detectives � that�s including the two Governors and you, PC Murray the driver and myself as the SOCO.�

As Jane followed Dabs she saw a wooden plaque screwed to a door and knew it was the squad room. On the plaque was a golden eagle, with its talons outstretched as if about to grab its prey. Above the eagle were the words THE FLYING SQUAD and below it NEW SCOTLAND YARD written in gold lettering. She knew the swooping eagle was the emblem of an elite unit, which had gained a reputation for courage and determination in opposing the most violent of London�s armed robbers and hardened criminals. She touched the plaque with her hand, not for luck, but because she felt immense pride in being the first woman detective posted to the Flying Squad in its sixty-year history.

Standing in the corridor Jane could hear male voices chatting and laughing on the other side of the door, as well as the click-clack of typewriters and the ding of the bell as the carriage reached the end of the page. She straightened her coat and swept her hands through her hair. She didn�t know why, but for the first time in ages she felt nervous about walking into an office full of male detectives, as Dabs opened the door for her. But her anxiety eased as she recognized the hearty laugh of DS Stanley. Being the first female member of the Flying Squad probably wasn�t going to be a bed of roses, but it felt like it was the beginning of an exciting new chapter in her life. She walked into the room and saw the Colonel and Stanley standing together, with their backs to her, looking at something on the wall. Before she could speak, the Colonel nudged Stanley with his elbow.

�Get me Tennison�s joining photo out of her job file on KP�s desk � I�ll stick it on the poster under her nickname.�

The Colonel sniggered, still with his back to Jane.

Stanley turned around and took a few steps towards the desk before he saw Jane and grimaced. She glared at him and held her finger to her mouth, making it clear she wanted him to keep quiet. She could see her police file, with her CID photograph clipped to it, on a neat and tidy desk near the door, which had a �Katie Powell� name plaque on it.

The Colonel continued to look at the poster, admiring his handiwork.

�Get a move on, Stanley, Tennison will be here soon.�

Jane handed Dabs the bag of exhibits, then removed her photo from the file. As she crept up behind the Colonel she could see a 40in. by 30in. film poster for the 1967 movie, The Dirty Dozen. The poster depicted twelve men in army fatigues charging forward in a V formation, with machine guns blazing. Jane knew the film was considered a classic, full of Hollywood stars of the day like Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson. In the top left corner of the poster, in capital letters, were the words DAMN THEM OR PRAISE THEM... YOU�LL NEVER FORGET THE DIRTY DOZEN and added on a bit of paper underneath was OR TREACLE TENNISON.

�There you go,� Jane said and stuck the photograph under her name. The Colonel was visibly startled.

�Where�d you come from?� he asked, red-faced, and some of the detectives couldn�t help laughing at his embarrassment.

�And there was us thinking you were a rough, tough Marine,� DC Baxter said.

�You must have shit yourself when the enemy crept up on you,� Teflon grinned.

The Colonel glared at Teflon as everyone laughed, then turned to Jane with a smirk.

�It�s just me and the lads having a bit of fun��

�To be honest, DC Gorman, I was expecting a more traditional initiation ceremony, like cling film or fingerprint ink on the ladies� toilet seat. But this poster is so much more revealing...� She paused.

�What do you mean?� he asked.

�It shows you think you�re a big Hollywood movie star, not a lowly copper working in a dingy office in Leytonstone.�

Some of the detectives chuckled.

�I�ll take the photo down if you�re that bothered about it,� he snapped, reaching to remove it.

Jane put a hand on his arm.

�If it makes you happy, leave it there. Now let me try and guess which one of the Dirty Dozen you are.� She deliberately paused to make out she was studying the poster and thinking about it. �I�m leaning towards the character Charles Bronson played � but I can�t remember his name...�

She paused again, knowing the Colonel would answer.

�Wladislaw,� he said smugly, clearly pleased she thought he was like Bronson.

�No, not him, it�s another character I was thinking of.�

�Who?�

�Wasn�t one of them a bigot nicknamed Maggott?�

Teflon laughed. �Right on, Sarge, he was played by Telly Savalas. Ya man was bald like de�Colonel,� he said in a comic Caribbean accent.

�Shut up, Teflon � no one asked for your opinion.� The Colonel scowled.

Teflon shook his head and tutted. �You like to dish it out, Colonel, but you can�t take it, can you?�

�Not when it�s you,� the Colonel said coldly.

�What do you mean by that?� Teflon said, taking a step towards the Colonel to front him out.

The animosity between the two detectives was palpable, and Jane was about to step between them, but Stanley beat her to it and held his hands up to keep them apart.

�Right, fun�s over. We�ve got a fucking robbery to investigate, where some of our own were nearly killed � so stop pissing about and get on with your work,� he said in a firm voice.

As the detectives returned to their desks, Stanley took Jane to one side.

�It was only a bit of fun, the Colonel didn�t mean anything by it. Besides, we all have nicknames and take the piss out of each other, it helps relieve the pressure.�

�I don�t mind a bit of fun or banter, but if I�m honest it felt a bit demeaning, especially as I�ve already told the Colonel I don�t like being called Treacle.�

�I didn�t know that��

�And if you did would you have stopped him?�

�Treacle�s not a demeaning term, Jane, it�s just cockney rhyming slang � treacle tart... sweetheart.�

�I know where it comes from, Stanley, but I�d expect to hear my mother or father use it � not a junior officer in what was clearly a derogatory manner. I don�t think it�s too much to ask to be called Sarge or Sergeant when I�m on duty � do you?�

�Well, I�ve always accepted being called Stanley��

�That�s your choice � besides, I heard people call you Sarge when we worked on the Covent Garden bombing.�

�That was different from working on this squad��

�So, it�s all right to refer to the DI and DCI by their Christian or nicknames, then?� Jane asked, with a touch of sarcasm.

�You know that�s not what I�m saying.�

�Well, what are you saying?�

�That you might want to calm down a bit. I don�t mind if you give as good as you get, but that�s because I�ve worked with you before. For now just soak up the mickey-taking and ease yourself in gently.�

�Oh, I see, because I�m a female I�m the one who should be submissive. I thought this was the Flying Squad � not a gentlemen�s club.�

�I�ve given you my advice, Jane, so take it or��

�I�ll leave it, Stanley, and make my own decisions, thank you.�

As Stanley returned to his desk, a woman came out of one of the offices at the far end of the room carrying some case folders. She was in her mid-thirties, five feet seven inches tall, with a slim waist and good-sized bust, and walked with an air of authority. Her long dark shiny hair hung down her back and she was smartly dressed in a white blouse, black pencil skirt and high heels. She put the folder on the desk next to Jane�s police file.

�Hi, you must be Katie. I�m Jane Tennison.� She smiled as she raised her hand to greet her.

She looked Jane up and down condescendingly.

�Yes, I know, I�ve seen your police file,� she replied, without a smile.

Jane wasn�t going to put up with Katie looking down her nose at her.

�So have the rest of the office by the looks of it,� she retorted, glancing towards her file on Katie�s desk.

�DCI Murphy gave me your file earlier to enter your personal details in our squad address book. I�m not responsible for the behavior of the rest of the team.�

Jane sensed Katie knew about the addition of �Treacle Tennison� to The Dirty Dozen poster but decided not to pursue it.

�Is DCI Murphy in his office?� she asked, changing the subject.

�Yes, it�s the one on the left I just came out of. DI Kingston�s is next to it.�

�I�ll just nip to the ladies� and freshen up. I�ve been helping Dabs and got a bit dirty.�

�Yes, I did notice,� Katie said with a frown. �DCI Murphy doesn�t like to be kept waiting, so I wouldn�t take too long if I were you.�

�Which desk is mine?� Jane asked, wondering why Katie was being so cold and unfriendly.

�That one over there.�

She pointed to a single desk in the corner of the room, next to another one on which there was a large police radio, a teleprinter and a computer for doing vehicle and name checks.

Although the squad room wasn�t as large as the CID offices Jane had worked in before, she noticed that all the other desks, apart from Katie�s, were organized in two groups of four and abutted each other. Stanley was seated in one group, with DC Baxter, DC Gorman and ADC Murray, and in the other group there was only Teflon and three empty desks, which were clearly in use as they had filing trays full of paperwork and case files on them. She knew that some of the team were out on another case but thought, as the only other DS on the team, she would have been given a desk with the others. She wondered if she had deliberately been put on her own to ostracize her.

She put her coat on the rack by the door and looked around the room. The large wall behind Katie�s desk was covered with artists� impressions of robbery suspects, wanted posters and mugshots, as well as an array of surveillance and robbery crime scene photographs. There was also a large wallchart of the date, time and venue of all the cases they were currently investigating, and in the corner next to it there was a flip chart easel.

On the left-hand wall there was a large map of the north-east London area that the Rigg Approach Flying Squad team covered; it ran from Tower Hamlets in the East End to Enfield, Chigwell in Essex and Upminster, which was an area of nearly a hundred square miles. The map was covered with red, yellow and green pins, which, according to the handwritten guide beside it, signified where armed robberies on banks, building societies, betting shops and cash-in-transit vehicles had taken place. Jane was struck by the fact that the clear majority were red pins, which signified that firearms had been discharged, as opposed to yellow pins, which meant they hadn�t. Green pins, of which there were about half a dozen, meant someone had been shot. On the right side of the room there were several filing cabinets for case files and bookshelves with box files and clip folders relating to ongoing investigations. Jane recalled Dabs saying that Katie was fussy when it came to office tidiness, and could see that everything was laid out neatly and well labelled, making it clear what was contained in everything on display.

The squad room, like the rest of the building, was painted a bland green and the carpet was cheap, thin and worn, but there was plenty of natural light entering through a row of large windows that looked out on to the front and rear of the building. The desks were old wooden ones with a locking drawer and side lockers, and each officer had some filing trays full of folders and paperwork.

She went to the ladies� toilet, brushed her hair and tied it back, then using some damp tissues she managed to get some of the soot streaks off her jacket and skirt. She tried to get one of the marks off her white blouse, but it smudged and ended up looking worse, so she buttoned up her jacket to hide them. Her mouth felt dry and she went to the small kitchen area to get a glass of water, where she found Teflon making some toast and coffee. He was a handsome man in his early thirties, five feet ten inches tall, with short Afro hair and a smooth complexion. Although dressed casually in dark grey slacks and a blue and white striped shirt, his clothes accentuated his slim body and he looked smart.

�Would you like a coffee?� he asked, with a friendly smile that was very welcome.

She smiled back. �No thanks, a glass of water�s fine, please. I�m Jane Tennison, we actually haven�t met yet.�

She put her hand out and he shook it with a firm grip.

He poured her a glass of water.

�Pleased to meet you. I�m DC Lloyd Johnson, or Teflon as the team like to call me.�

�Do you mind being called Teflon?� she asked cautiously, unsure if �Teflon� was a reference to the color of his skin. She knew that life as a black police officer could be tough, and sometimes it was easier to just deny the existence of racism if you wanted to be accepted by your white colleagues.

He looked surprised. �You think they call me Teflon �cause I�m black?�

She blushed. �Sorry, I didn�t mean any offence...�

He laughed. �None taken. It�s because I was chasing a robbery suspect with a pickaxe handle and it slipped out of me hands when I swung it at him.�

�Sorry, but I don�t get the analogy��

�It�s not that complicated. Teflon is non-stick, you see?�

�OK, so nothing to do with your color.�

He grinned. �If it was about me color I�d hit them with a bloody pickaxe handle.�

The kitchen door opened, and Katie looked in.

�DCI Murphy is wondering where you are. Get a move on as he wants to speak to you right now.�

Jane knew she was going to have to do something about Katie�s manner, but it wasn�t the time or place.

And besides, Katie had walked off before Jane could think of a suitable retort.

�Is Katie like that with everyone?�

Lloyd nodded. �Pretty much, unless you�re inspector rank or above. She�s probably jealous of you,� he said, pouring hot water into his cup.

�Jealous of me � what on earth for?�

�KP likes attention, and being the only woman in the office, apart from the cleaner, she gets plenty of it � especially from DI Kingston. Now you�re on the scene she�s got some competition.�

�I can assure you I�m not an attention-seeker. I�ve also learned from experience not to mix business with pleasure,� she added wryly. She finished her water, swilled the glass under the tap and put it on the draining board. �I�d better get a move on, then, before Katie gives me a detention.�

Lloyd chuckled as he put some sugar in his coffee.

�Just be careful what you say around her as it will get straight back to Kingston and Murphy. And don�t let the Colonel niggle you. He likes a bit of confrontation and winding people up � but he doesn�t like it when he�s the butt of the joke.�

�There was certainly a bit of tension between the two of you earlier,� she remarked.

�I got a lot of stick when I first came on the squad a year ago, especially as I was the first black officer to join the team, but I treated it as banter and gave back as good as I got � that way it didn�t bother me. The Colonel and me don�t always see eye to eye, but he knows not to push things too far � and he�s a good man to have on your side in a dodgy situation.�

�From the size of him and his Marines background I don�t doubt that,� she said as she opened the kitchen door.

�Nice to meet you, Sarge. Now you�re on the squad I won�t be the odd one out any more,� he said with a cheeky grin and a wink.

Jane knew there were not enough black and ethnic minority officers in the force. She had certainly never worked in uniform or the CID alongside a black officer. She was also aware that despite efforts to encourage black people to join the police force, the response had been poor. Many in the Afro-Caribbean community believed, with reason, that if they joined the police they would be subjected to racism within the force as well as opposition and hostility from friends, relatives and members of the community.

She would like to have chatted more with Lloyd and wondered when he said Katie liked attention, �especially from Kingston,� if he was implying that something was going on between the two of them. She�d noticed that Kingston wore a wedding ring and Katie didn�t have any rings on her left hand, but realized it was none of her business if they were in a relationship. She�d made a big mistake as a probationer when she�d had an affair with a married DCI, followed by a disastrous relationship with a self-centered bomb squad officer. Since then she�d vowed not to get involved with another police officer ever again.

Jane felt a mixture of dismay and anger as she left Murphy�s office, but she was determined to show him, and the other squad officers, that she was a good detective and not just a token female. She didn�t doubt what Murphy said about getting rid of her if she messed up and knew he would be watching everything she did closely and going over her paperwork with a fine-toothed comb. She also realized that being accepted by the team was going to be hard work, especially if Murphy and Kingston told them she was nothing more than an �experiment,� but even if they did, she�d make sure they got the message that she was staying put and they could like it or lump it.

At the back of her mind, though, was another thought that had come from Murphy�s mention of Countryman. What if the real reason he didn�t want her on the squad was because they had something to hide? She hoped it wasn�t the case, but if she did stumble across any evidence of corruption, that would put her in an even more difficult position.

She saw Dabs sitting at her desk and looking through the open exhibits book as he tapped away at her typewriter.

�What�s the problem?� she snapped, still angry with Murphy and suspecting Dabs was scrutinizing her entries in the book.

Dabs looked up in surprise. �Nothing � I was just looking through everything we collected today and typing up the lab form for the priority exhibits for submission and forensic examination.�

Jane took a deep breath. �Sorry, Dabs, I didn�t mean to be rude and snap at you. Are the entries in the exhibits book OK?�

�They�re excellent. I wish the rest of the team were as thorough when listing and describing exhibits. I�d like to use this book as an example to the others, then they can see how it should be done.�

�Thanks, but I�m not sure they�d appreciate that.�

Dabs looked at Jane more closely. �Are you all right, Sarge?�

�I�ve got a bit of a headache from dealing with all that burnt material.�

He stood up to let her sit down.

�So did I earlier. The smell of burning rubber from that car was really nauseating. I�ve got some strong aspirin in my office if you want a couple.�

She thanked him but said she�d already taken some. As she was a supervising officer, he asked if she�d sign the lab form when he�d completed it. Jane knew a DS�s or DI�s signature was required before the lab would start any forensic examination.

�I think it�s best you ask DI Kingston since he�s running the investigation.�

�OK, but as the exhibits officer you should be present when we discuss the submissions. I think he�ll be quite impressed when he sees the exhibits book and hears about your idea to seize the garage lock in case we find a key that fits. I�d appreciate your input regarding the forensic strategy as well.�

She shrugged. �If DI Kingston wants me to be present, I�m sure he�ll ask.�

Murphy had put her in a position where she was nervous about any form of confrontation with her superiors, and it really annoyed her.

Dabs leaned forward and spoke quietly. �Don�t let it get to you, it�s just��

�Let what get to me?� she interjected, worried he knew the real reason she�d been posted to the squad.

�The Colonel�s childish behavior with the poster. Everyone gets a bit of stick when they start here. God knows I did � they kept calling me Nick Nack. At first I thought it was something to do with the fact I was a civvy and couldn�t arrest anyone, but then I found out it was because of my height.�

�Your height?� She was confused.

�Yeah, Nick Nack�s a dwarf villain in a James Bond film.�

She remembered the film and had to stop herself smiling at the comparison as she didn�t want to offend Dabs.

�Thanks for your concern, but I�m fine with a bit of banter. Besides, I didn�t expect to be welcomed with open arms by everyone.�

�From what I�ve seen so far you�ll soon settle in; you�re a thinker and a hard worker � and that�s what counts most.�

He picked up the typewriter and said he�d use one of the empty desks next to Teflon to complete the lab form. The way Dabs treated her with respect made Jane feel even worse about the way she�d snapped at him, and now she could feel a real headache coming on. As she took out her pocket notebook and pen she noticed a blue folder in one of her filing trays. She supposed Katie must have put it there. She looked inside and saw that it contained the completed house-to-house forms, none of which had been signed or marked up for further, or no further, action. She assumed Cam would have been checking and supervising the forms as he�d told her DI Kingston wanted him to organize the house-to-house enquiries. Jane glanced up and saw Cam watching her out of the corner of his eye, then say something to the Colonel, which made him grin. She walked over to his desk and put the folder down in front of him.

�I thought you were dealing with the house-to-house forms.�

�I spoke to DI Kingston and he wants you, as a DS, to check them and raise any further action if it�s needed,� he said with a self-satisfied smile.

She wondered if he was lying because he was too lazy to check them himself.

�Then why didn�t Kingston tell me personally?�

Cam shrugged. �Probably because you were with DCI Murphy when I spoke to him. I expect he�ll want to go over the results of the house-to-house during the meeting.�

�Right, we can get the meeting started, now WDS Tennison has honored us with her presence,� Murphy�s voice boomed out as he strode into the squad room, followed by DI Kingston.

Cam had a smug look as he spoke to Jane. �Don�t panic, I�ve looked through the forms and there�s nothing that needs an urgent follow-up and I�ve told Kingston about the owner of garage twenty-nine.�

�Can someone grab the flip chart and felt pens?� Murphy asked.

Seeing she was nearest, Jane went to get it but, as she picked up the two pens, Katie suddenly snatched them out of her hand.

�DCI Murphy likes me to write the salient points on the flip chart at office meetings since I�m the only one with legible handwriting.�

Jane was taken aback by her petulance.

�I was only going to carry it over, not write��

�That�s kind of you,� Katie said, scampering off to position herself next to Murphy.

�Stupid bloody woman!� Jane muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.

Murphy coughed to clear his throat.

�Right, I�d like to go through this morning�s robbery step by step. I don�t normally have to remind you of this, but for the benefit of our new arrival, DS Tennison � what is said within these four walls remains within these four walls.� He looked at Jane, who nodded.

Murphy continued, �DI Kingston has already briefed me on what the landlady of the Crown told him. It would seem she�s our best witness as she at least got a look at the driver of the Cortina. Anyway, Stewart, can you tell us what she saw and give us the description of the driver?�

Kingston got out his pocket notebook but said he�d yet to take a full statement from Fiona. The artist�s impression of the driver was being done at 5 p.m., so it should be with them in the morning for circulation. He went over what Fiona had told him and when he gave the description of the driver he spoke slowly, so Katie could write it on the flip chart. As Kingston was about to continue the Colonel spoke up.

�You might like to add �shit-hot driver� to that description��

�Why would that be, Colonel?� Murphy asked.

�I spoke to the driver of Juliet 1 before he was carted off in the ambulance. He�s an experienced Class 1 driver himself and said the driver of the Cortina knew how to handle the car at high speeds.�

Katie wrote �shit-hot driver� on the flip chart, which made the Colonel chuckle.

��Good driving skills� would have been fine,� Kingston told her with a smile.

Katie looked flustered. �I assumed those were the exact words the police driver used.�

Kingston continued, �The landlady said the driver was late thirties to mid-forties. The collar on his donkey jacket was pulled up and he wore a gray cloth cap, pulled forward as if trying to conceal his face. When the three men got out of the car they walked in an �A� formation. She thought the man at the front was about five foot ten, and the one behind on his right was about the same � he carried the sawn-off in his right hand. The third man, who got out of the front passenger seat, was about six foot two, wearing a light-colored stocking mask and had some sort of gun in his right hand.�

Jane flicked through her pocket notebook. Abby had said the tall man was wearing a mask over his face, but when Jane asked if it was a balaclava she said yes. Of course, being distressed at the time, she might have been mistaken.

�Can any of the guards help us with a detailed description of the handgun?� Murphy asked, but there was no immediate reply.

Dabs raised his hand. �DS Tennison found some spent nine-mill cartridge cases before I got to the Woodville Road scene. The stamp on the cases revealed they were made in 1943.�

�So, we�re maybe looking for a World War Two semi-automatic?� DC Baxter asked.

�Not necessarily � the bullets may be old, but the gun could be newish and capable of firing old nine-mill bullets. Tennison and I also recovered two bullets that were in reasonable shape and had rifling marks for comparison testing against any guns we recover. Once the firearms section at the lab have done their forensic examinations, I should be able to tell you more.�

�What else was on the cartridge case, Dabs?� the Colonel asked.

�ST+ and DNH.�

�ST+ is for improved steel cases and DNH means the casings were made in Germany � but don�t ask me what part,� the Colonel added.

Dabs looked impressed. �I don�t doubt your knowledge as an ex-soldier, Colonel, but I�ll get the lab to double-check.�

The Colonel frowned. �Ex-Marine, thank you, Dabs.�

�Good job, Dabs, and it�s something for the lab to work on,� Murphy said.

It was considerate of Dabs to mention her work at the scene but Jane felt Murphy had deliberately avoided acknowledging her part in assisting him. Murphy asked the three detectives who had taken statements from the security guards to read out the salient points.

The Colonel, who had interviewed the van driver, spoke first. Jane found it chilling to hear how the robber with a sawn-off shotgun said, �You so much as twitch and I�ll blow your fucking head off.�

�How did the driver describe his voice?� Murphy asked the Colonel.

�He thought it was a London accent and at first the voice was deep, but high-pitched after he shot the off-duty officer and said, �The fucking idiot tried to get the gun off me.� He said the robber�s eyes were dark colored and the bits of eyebrow he could see were light brown. He was about the same height as the off-duty PC who got shot, which according to his police file is five foot ten��

�Good, that�s two people putting him at the same height,� Murphy said.

�Anything about the way the robber walked?� Kingston asked.

�No, Guv, the driver didn�t see him approaching and when the robber shot the PC he wound up the window and lay across the front seats shitting himself that he was next.�

Kingston went over what the off-duty PC had told him about tackling the man with the sawn-off shotgun: how the officer thought he was going to die when he heard the gun go off and felt what he thought were lead pellets hit his stomach.

�Poor lad�s lucky to be alive, but at least he�ll think twice before doing something like that again,� Kingston said.

�I expect he won�t be having the egg fried rice next time he has a Chinky takeaway,� the Colonel added, raising a few chuckles.

Murphy asked who�d dealt with the guard in the back of the van and DC Baxter raised his hand.

�There was nothing of real value from him as he didn�t look out of his viewing window while the robbery was going down. He put the first box in the chute and thought it was being delivered to the bank. He was reading a paper while waiting for the second coded knock on the van, which means it�s safe to send out the next cash box. When he heard his colleague say, �You can send out the other case� without knocking, he knew something was wrong and set off the van�s alarm. He then heard the shotgun go off and stayed where he was until the lids arrived.�

�Lids� was a CID term to referring to the uniform officers who were first on scene.

�Well, you�ve had an easy day, Bax,� Murphy joked.

�I tried to string his statement out to three pages, Guv, but I didn�t think you�d want to know about him spewing his breakfast up all over the back of the van.�

Murphy laughed. �Who interviewed the guard who was carrying the cash box?�

Stanley raised his hand and waved a lengthy statement he was holding.

�This poor guy literally shit himself when the barrel of the gun was put against his forehead��

�Just take us through what he saw and heard, Stanley, not his bowel movements, thank you,� Murphy said, to general laughter.

�Couldn�t he give a good description of the gun?� the Colonel asked.

�Not really, other than the barrel was round, black and had what he described as a fin on the tip of it � understandably he closed his eyes when it was first put to his forehead...�

�That might be a Luger,� the Colonel commented. �A Luger barrel is round and has a sight tip on the end, whereas with many semi-automatics the barrel is an oblong shape. Dabs also mentioned the 43 and DNH stamps on the cartridge case, meaning the ammunition was German. A Luger can also fire nine-mill ammo. Don�t take my word for it, though, Dabs.�

�Good point,� Murphy said. �Dabs, make sure the firearms section at the lab are aware of the Luger idea and keep me and DI Kingston updated with the results.�

Dabs nodded, and Murphy asked Stanley to continue.

�The guard was still on his knees with the gun to his forehead when the unarmed man said, �Last chance, son. Tell him to put the other fucking cases in the chute.� The voice was calm, but gravelly, as if he maybe had a sore throat. His eyes were brown, and his stare was �pure evil�, he reckoned. The next thing he heard was the van�s alarm going off, followed by the shotgun blast � then when he saw the two robbers run to the front of the van he legged it into the bank.�

Jane put her hand up.

�Yes, Tennison?� Murphy sighed.

�I just wondered if the guard said anything about smelling smoke on the unarmed man?�

�They didn�t set light to the car until after the robbery, Tennison,� Murphy shot back.

�I meant tobacco smoke��

�No, he didn�t,� Stanley put in.

�Did you ask?� Jane enquired.

Stanley showed his annoyance. �I know how to take a victim statement, Jane. I asked the guard if the robber had bad breath and he said no, so for me that means it didn�t smell of smoke.�

Murphy sighed. �Whether or not this person is a smoker doesn�t really help the investigation at this stage.�

Jane was determined to make her point.

�A witness who lives at Edgar House saw two men walking towards Felstead Road not long after the robbery and thought she smelt cigar smoke. They caught her eye because one of them was carrying a duffle bag like one she bought her grandson for Christmas.�

�Any description of the men?� Murphy asked.

Jane got out her pocket notebook to check what the uniform sergeant had said.

�I didn�t speak to her personally, but she thought the men were about five feet nine, one was dark-haired and the other lighter colored. She thinks the one carrying the bag had a blue jacket on��

�The blaggers were all dressed in dark coveralls and donkey jackets,� the Colonel said bluntly.

�Actually, we found evidence of burnt clothing in the boot of the Cortina,� Dabs said, �which suggests they may have changed clothes in the garage��

Murphy interrupted. �Is there a description for these two men?�

�She only saw them from behind, but if they were involved in the robbery, they may have had a second getaway car parked nearby.�

Murphy looked unimpressed.

�We could always do an ID parade where the witness looks at the back of the suspects� heads.� The Colonel laughed, and some of the others joined in.

�Thank you for your input, Tennison, but I�d like to move on to the three crime scene examinations.�

�I found a cigar butt in Felstead Road and there was one��

Murphy interrupted her. �The fact one of our suspects may smoke cigars is not incriminating evidence, Tennison, so move on to the scene examinations.�

�SOCO Morgan and I examined the crash site and the burnt-out car��

Murphy held up his hand again. �I am aware of that, but I�d like Dabs to take me through it.�

Jane could feel herself getting worked up, but bit her lip, knowing that standing up to Murphy would only make him come down even harder on her.

Dabs opened the exhibits book to use as a reference.

�DS Tennison also found two fresh blood drop trails in Woodville Road running from a car�s skid mark, which we believe was left by the Cortina.�

�How do you think they got there?� Kingston asked.

�Sergeant Tennison has a theory on that,� Dabs said, looking over at Jane.

She checked her notes. �A young girl was in Woodville Road when she saw the Cortina hit a parked car at speed then skid to an abrupt halt. A tall man wearing a balaclava got out of the front passenger side, then walked into the middle of the road and started shooting at Juliet 1. Having fired four times he returned to the Cortina, which then left the scene. It�s possible that this man was injured at some point during the car chase and left the blood trails.�

Dabs spoke up. �I took swabs and will get them tested for blood grouping. Thanks to Sergeant Tennison�s perceptive thinking we also recovered some blood on the front passenger door sill of the burnt-out Cortina.�

�Can I see the exhibits book?� Murphy asked, and Dabs handed it to him.

�There�s more,� Dabs said, getting their attention again. �She also thought to call out a traffic officer to examine the car�s chassis plate in situ, and as a result we now know it was reported stolen and who the owner is.�

There was silence in the room as Murphy looked through the book.

�I see the traffic officer took the ignition barrel out of the Cortina � why was that?� he asked Dabs, who again looked at Jane.

�I asked him if there was any sign that the Cortina had been hot-wired or if a screwdriver had been used to start the ignition,� Jane explained. �He was positive it hadn�t been hot-wired and took the barrel for microscopic examination to see if the inside had signs of screwdriver damage.�

Dabs smiled, realizing that she�d twisted things slightly to make herself look good.

�If we know the car was nicked how does damage to the ignition barrel help us?� Cam asked dismissively.

�It�s the opposite�� Dabs said.

�What do you mean the opposite?�

�Sometimes it�s obvious why you�re OFD,� the Colonel said. �If it wasn�t hot-wired and there�s no damage to the barrel then a key must have been used to start it � which would suggest...� He paused, waiting for Cam to answer.

�That maybe the car wasn�t stolen, and the owner�s lied for some reason.�

�Finally, you�re thinking like a detective,� the Colonel said, and Cam gave him a �piss off� look.

Jane held up a bit of paper. �The owner reported his Cortina stolen two weeks ago.�

She handed it to Kingston, who said he knew where Mount Pleasant Road was as he�d worked at Tottenham as a DI, but didn�t recognize the name of the owner.

�This Frank Braun needs to be spoken to asap,� Kingston said.

Stanley volunteered to visit the address with the Colonel after the meeting. Murphy said it was best to wait until they had the result of the examination of the car�s ignition barrel and handed Kingston the exhibits book.

�I see you also seized the burnt-out garage door lock.�

�I thought that if we arrested any suspects with garage keys, we could test them against the lock,� she explained.

Kingston nodded his approval. �Seems you have a good working knowledge of forensics.�

�I�ve had the privilege of working alongside an experienced lab liaison sergeant at several murder scenes � DS Paul Lawrence.�

�He�s regarded as the best in the Met,� Dabs chipped in.

Kingston looked at Murphy. �I think it might be a good idea if DS Tennison continues to work alongside Dabs on this investigation.�

Murphy reluctantly agreed, but Jane wasn�t sure whether they were trying to help her fit in or put her in a role where she would be distanced from the team�s outside enquiries and surveillance duties. Again, the thought crossed her mind that there might be things about their working methods they didn�t want her to see or hear.

�Can you continue supervising the house-to-house enquiries as well?� Kingston asked.

Jane was quick to say, �Yes, sir,� making it hard for Murphy to object to his second in command. She suspected Cam had lied to her about Kingston saying he was to run the house-to-house.

�Good, and if you need any assistance, let me know.� Kingston smiled.

�After I briefed the uniform sergeant, ADC Murray offered to oversee the house-to-house for me,� she informed him.

Kingston looked surprised. �Did he now?�

Jane nodded. �I haven�t had a chance to check the completed house-to-house for further actions yet, but I believe Cam can bring you up to speed.� She gave Cam a sideways look.

Kingston knew something was up. �In that case he can continue helping you... when we don�t need him to drive us somewhere.�

�Anything of interest come up during the house-to-house, Cam?� Murphy asked.

�Er, yes,� Cam began nervously. �The owners of garage twenty-nine are in their late sixties, living at flat forty Edgar House, and the male occupant was in hospital recovering from a cataract operation and hadn�t used the garage for some time. He�d loaned the car to his daughter.�

�How many of the flats still need to be visited?� Kingston asked.

�Er... quite a few. A lot of the occupants were presumably at work.�

Jane knew Cam was waffling as he hadn�t checked the forms, and decided to interject.

�Enquiries are still being made by the late-shift uniform officers. However, there are two blocks of flats opposite Edgar House where I feel it might be worth making��

Murphy held his hand up. �You can discuss the house-to-house with DI Kingston after the meeting. Right, do we know how much they got away with?�

Baxter held up the statement he�d taken.

�According to the guard inside the van, the stolen cash box contained two grand in one-pound notes.�

�Two fucking grand. They shot an off-duty PC and nearly killed the crew of Juliet 1 for five hundred quid each!� the Colonel exclaimed.

�The other cash box contained six grand in fives, tens and twenties. We should release that to the press to really piss the bad guys off,� Baxter suggested.

�Up till now I thought we might be dealing with professional criminals � not a bunch of amateur desperados,� Teflon said.

�Actually, I think these guys knew exactly what they were doing,� Kingston said.

�Look, the robbery went pear-shaped when the off-duty PC decided to have a go and got a stomach full of rice for his trouble�� said the colonel.

�The other barrel of the sawn-off was probably loaded with a real cartridge, ready to be used if needed,� Murphy added.

Kingston nodded in agreement. �Although the guy with the handgun popped off a few shots at the crew of Juliet 1, he seemed calm and precise in his actions during the robbery.�

�The torching of the Cortina and clothing suggests planning from experience as well,� Stanley said.

Jane raised her hand and Murphy pretended not to notice, but she kept it raised until he acknowledged her.

�What now, Tennison?�

�I spoke to a young witness called Abby Jones. After the police car crashed, the man with the handgun walked towards the officers, but the man with the shotgun said something and the two of them got back in the Cortina.�

�Why didn�t you tell us this earlier?� Murphy asked, clearly annoyed.

�She didn�t see their faces because of the masks and refused to make a statement.�

Murphy sighed. �Did you try and persuade her?�

She looked to Kingston.

�Tennison did mention it to me, but the girl was only seventeen, in shock and had a baby with her, so I said to let her go for now and speak to her again in a day or two.�

It wasn�t quite the truth, but Jane appreciated that Kingston was at least backing her up.

�Is there anything else you�ve overlooked, which you�d like to now share with the team?� Murphy asked.

Jane ignored his sarcastic tone. �The bank manager told me he�d recently had CCTV installed on the inside of the premises, but none outside where the crime took place. I wondered if it was possible the robbers had been tipped off about this and that�s why they decided to rob the security van in the street.�

She realized that everyone was staring at her.

�It�s a valid question,� Kingston remarked, attracting a few funny looks.

Jane assumed he was defending her because she hadn�t embarrassed him about Abby.

Kingston continued, �Thursday is a regular cash delivery day at many banks as companies need to withdraw money to make up their employees� Friday wage packets � and criminals are just as aware of that fact.�

�Thank you, sir,� she said, acknowledging his support.

Murphy looked quizzically at Kingston. �Moving forward we need to be aware that these four men will undoubtedly strike again, especially as they didn�t get away with much this time. It�s also highly likely they�ve robbed other cash in transit vans, banks, jewelers, etc., etc., so, Katie, I want you��

Kate jumped in, eager to be center-stage.

�I�m already on it, sir. I checked with the Tower Bridge and Barnes squads before the meeting and they�ve nothing on file for any robberies that match the MO or description of the men. I will of course make further enquiries after the meeting,� she added, looking pleased with herself.

�Good work, KP � as reliable as ever,� Murphy said with a smile.

Dabs nudged Jane and whispered, �See what I mean about her being a teacher�s pet?�

Jane looked at Teflon, who blew out his cheeks to show Katie�s ingratiating behavior made him want to throw up.

�Is there anything else you or DI Kingston would like me to attend to?� Katie asked Murphy.

�Not that I can think of for now, but I�d like DS Tennison to spend some time with you. That way she can see how we handle investigations and paperwork within the office.�

Katie didn�t look pleased, and Jane knew Murphy was deliberately burdening her with office work, but she could always use the house-to-house as an excuse to get out of Katie�s clutches for a while.

�Right, is there anything else anyone wants to raise?� Murphy asked.

Everyone shook their heads apart from Baxter.

�What about �keep �em peeled�?� He touched his eye with his index finger, then pointed into the room and winked. Everyone recognized the impersonation of Shaw Taylor, the presenter of the Police 5 TV program. �He could appeal to the public for information.�

�Actually, that�s not a bad idea.� Murphy looked at Jane. �Give them a ring and ask if they could fit our case in. Also contact the bank and see if they�re prepared to offer up a reward for information leading to an arrest and charge. If you get a result with Police 5 or the bank, discuss it with DI Kingston.�

Jane nodded to herself. Murphy obviously wanted as little to do with her as possible.

Murphy closed his pocket notebook.

�I know we�ve other unsolved investigations ongoing, but this case is our number one priority. Once you�ve finished your reports, I want you out on the streets talking to your informants and hassling any other lowlife on our patch for information. If it means visiting any dodgy pubs, you go in pairs, and I don�t want any of you coming back here shit-faced. We�ll regroup here at ten tomorrow morning. I want results, lads, and I want them quickly before someone does get killed by this gang.�

When the meeting finished, Murphy told Kingston he wanted a chat with him in his office.

�How did Tennison take being told she was an experiment?� Kingston asked as he pulled up a chair and sat down.

�Not as badly as I hoped she would,� Murphy replied as he opened his desk drawer, then got out the bottle of whisky and two glasses.

�Just a small one for me,� Kingston said.

Murphy poured him a large measure.

�I was hoping she�d tell me to stick the Flying Squad up my arse and piss off back to divisional CID. She�s thicker skinned than I thought she�d be...�

�As a female officer she�s probably used to being put down all the time��

�Why are you defending her?�

�I�m not � I just reckon she�ll do her best to show us were all wrong about her abilities, that�s all.�

Murphy gave him an inquisitive look. �You don�t think she�ll be an easy ride then?�

Kingston pretended to look offended. �What do you mean by that?�

�I know you too well, Stu. Your dick has always ruled your brain and you�re only being nice to Tennison so you can get in her knickers.�

Kingston laughed. �No way! She�s not my type � far too serious for me.�

�Bollocks! She�s reasonably attractive, got big tits and a nice arse��

�Sounds like you fancy her, Bill.�

�Don�t try and turn it around, Stu, we both know she ticks all the boxes in your quick leg-over book. I�d rather you steered well clear of her. She�ll screw up soon enough and then we can get rid of her.�

�I don�t fancy Tennison � but as I see it we�re stuck with her for now so there�s no harm in giving her the menial stuff to do to keep her out of harm�s way.�

�Most of the bloody office reckons KP�s got the hots for you and some even think she�s your bit on the side. If you start making a play for Tennison it could cause you all sorts of bother. The last thing I want is two women in the office fighting like tarts over you!�

�For Christ�s sake, Bill, I flirt with KP, that�s all. She likes attention and it keeps her on her toes.�

�Well, for everyone�s sake keep it that way, Stu.�

Kingston downed his whisky. �Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?�

�Yes, this landlady, Fiona Simpson � is she a good witness?�

�Yeah. She�s feisty, that�s for sure, and she seemed willing to go the whole way � as a witness, that is,� he added quickly.

�Stop being so bloody defensive. Get a statement off her, then take her up the Yard to look through the Flying Squad mugshot albums.�

�I�ve already arranged for an artist�s impression to be taken from her at five today, then she has to open the pub at six. But I�ll give her a ring and see if she can do a statement tonight.�

�Get Tennison or one of the others to take the statement off Simpson.�

�The rest of the team are all busy and I don�t think Tennison is experienced enough to do it��

�Ten minutes ago, you were telling us what a good job she�s doing.�

�What I meant is she�s inexperienced when it comes to armed robbery investigations. Simpson is our only witness who might be able to identify one of the blaggers and needs to be handled carefully.�

�Point taken. Try and get the statement tonight if you can, if not, tomorrow morning at the latest. I need you to hold the fort here this evening as I�ve got a seven o�clock meeting at the Yard re this Operation Countryman fiasco.�

�Are they looking at us for anything? Or the rubber heelers?� Kingston asked.

�I don�t know for certain... but it�s only a matter of time before they decide to stick their noses into our business.�

�I don�t think we�ve got anything to worry about��

�Come on, Stewart, we both know some of us have sailed close to the wind evidence wise � especially the Colonel.�

�To be fair,� Kingston insisted, �he�s never put a man in prison who didn�t deserve it��

Murphy slapped his hand down on the desk. �A disgruntled man in prison turned supergrass and started bloody Countryman!�

Kingston shrugged. �But we wouldn�t get convictions if we didn�t use the occasional verbal.�

Murphy shook his head. �The ends don�t justify the means as far as Countryman�s concerned. To them bending the rules is corruption even if it means putting villains away.� He leaned forward across the desk. �I don�t want any fit-ups on the Leytonstone job, Stu � especially with Miss Goody Two Shoes on the team.�

�Don�t worry about her. Tennison doesn�t need to be involved in any arrests. You could stick her in the office to man the radio.�

Murphy nodded. �You know I�m not averse to putting words into the mouths of suspects when it�s necessary, but I prefer to nick them red-handed on the plot, that way the evidence is watertight.�

Kingston smiled. �I�ll make sure the lads are aware of your feelings and everything is above board � as far as possible.�

�OK, I�ll leave a number with KP so she can call me at the Yard if anything urgent comes up.�

�Have you heard back from the rest of the team on the surveillance operation?� Kingston asked.

�They think the gang they�re following is going to hit a jeweler�s in Chingford next week, so we�ll all be needed if that�s a goer. I�ll let you know when I hear more, but they�ve got enough to be getting on with.�

Jane knocked on the door of flat 40 Edgar House and looked at her pocket notebook to check the name of the owner. The door was opened by a woman in her late sixties, wearing a floral kitchen apron over a white blouse and grey skirt with slippers on her feet.

�Helen Clarke?�

�Blimey, you�re quick off the mark � I only rang you a few hours ago,� she said, looking pleased.

�We haven�t spoken before, Mrs.�Clarke,� Jane said, confused.

�Haven�t we? Who are you then?�

�I�m Detective Sergeant Jane Tennison,� she replied, holding up her warrant card.

Helen looked embarrassed. �Silly me, I thought you were from the insurance company about the fire in our garage.�

Jane smiled. �As it happens I would like to speak to you about the garage fire��

�An officer whose name I can�t remember already spoke to me earlier about it, dear.�

�That was ADC Murray.�

Helen looked confused. �He told me he was a detective.�

�He works with me � he�s a driver on the Flying Squad and helps us with our enquiries.�

�What�s the Flying Squad?�

�We investigate bank robberies. I�m here in connection with one that occurred at Barclays Bank in Leytonstone this morning.�

�I don�t know anything about any bank robberies, dear,� she said, looking worried.

�Did ADC Murray not tell you why he was asking about your garage?�

�He said the garages had been set alight and ours had been badly damaged and the police were investigating it as a possible arson. He wondered if our car was in the garage and I told him my daughter has it. When I left the flat to go and see my husband in hospital I saw the fire brigade and police next to a burnt-out car. I thought it might be some of them hooligan kids from the estate down the road who�d done it � they come up here breaking into the flats and stealing stuff from cars.�

Jane realized that Murray probably hadn�t wanted to stress Helen unduly, so he didn�t mention the possible connection to the armed robbery, but she decided it was time to be honest with her.

�It wasn�t kids who did this, Mrs.�Clarke. We have reason to believe a getaway car used in the bank robbery was dumped in your garage and set alight with petrol.�

�I honestly don�t know anything about a bank robbery or the fire,� Helen said, looking more distressed.

�I don�t think for one minute that you do, Mrs.�Clarke, but knowing a bit more about your garage, and anyone who used it, might help the investigation.�

Helen opened the door. �You�d better come in then. I just boiled the kettle � would you like some tea?�

Jane said she would and followed Helen into the kitchen, which was the first room to the left of the ground floor two-bedroom duplex. The small kitchen was spotless, and three silver containers marked coffee, tea and sugar were neatly laid out next to a round Swan electric kettle. Helen made a pot of tea and used a small strainer to catch the leaves as she poured the tea into two bone china cups. She let Jane pour her own milk while she got some custard cream and Bourbon biscuits out of a round floral decorated tin and placed them neatly on a side plate.

�Your officer Murray likes his biscuits and ate a plateful himself,� Helen remarked with a smile.

Jane carried the two teas as she followed Helen through to the living room at the end of the short hallway.

�Excuse the mess, I haven�t had a chance to hoover and dust in here today.�

Helen opened the door to the living room, which in fact was just as neat and tidy as the kitchen. The room was bright, with white painted Anaglypta wallpaper, a light brown carpet and a cream-colored three-seater settee with matching armchair. The electric fire was on and the room was warm and cozy. On the mantelpiece above the fire there were pictures of Helen with a man, whom Jane assumed to be her husband. There was a family picture next to it with a couple in their thirties and a young boy and girl, as well as individual pictures of the children and a man in his early twenties.

�What lovely pictures,� Jane commented as she looked at them.

�That�s my husband Ronald with me. The picture next to it is our daughter June, her husband and their eight-year-old twins.� She picked up the picture of the young man. �This is our son Robert � he died some years ago after a motorcycle accident.�

�I�m sorry for your loss.�

Helen took a moment to compose herself.

�Me and Ronald didn�t like him riding motorbikes, but he was headstrong and loved biking. He used to go out for long day trips with his friends � they were all safety conscious and wore the proper leather clothes and crash helmets, even though you didn�t have to back then. He was going to Brighton for the day when someone pulled out in front of him and he came off his bike. There was hardly a mark on him, but he suffered a bad brain injury and died two days later in the hospital.�

Jane could see how upset Helen was getting and tried to move the conversation forward.

�Do you know if your husband kept the garage locked?�

�I�m sorry, I don�t, but I can ask him tomorrow morning when I visit him at the hospital.�

�It would be helpful if you could, then I can ring you in the afternoon.�

�I don�t have a phone, but my neighbors do and I�m sure they�d let me call you, or there�s a phone box down the road I can use.�

�Whatever�s easiest for you.�

Jane wrote down the office number on a back page of her pocket notebook and handed it to Helen, who put it in her apron pocket. Jane looked at the house-to-house form for number 40.

�My uniform colleague noted that you have lived here for six months and haven�t been using the garage as your husband can�t drive due to his eyesight problems.�

�That�s right, Ronald suffers from cataracts, so he gave the car to our daughter to use until his eyesight�s better.�

�Do you know who used the garage before you?�

�I assume it was the lady who owned the flat before us. When we were buying the place the estate agent said there was a garage with it.�

�Do you know her name or have a forwarding address for her?�

�We never met her. As I recall, the estate agent said her name was Mrs.�Smith. She�d been terminally ill in a hospice and after her death the flat was sold by one of her relatives.�

�Do you know the name or address of the relative?�

�No, but after we moved in we had some mail delivered for a Mrs.�Elizabeth Smith. We didn�t have a forwarding address for any relatives and the neighbors couldn�t help, so I gave it to the postman and told him the previous resident had died. I doubt Mrs.�Smith had much use for a garage if she was terminally ill... Do help yourself to a biscuit, dear.�

�That�s a good point, though she might have rented it out. Do you know the details of the estate agents who dealt with the sale of the flat?� Jane picked up a Bourbon and took a bite.

�I think it was Petty something... I can�t remember the full details as my husband always dealt with them. Mind you, I�m sure he kept the sales brochure.� Helen got up and rummaged around in the side cabinet drawer. �Ah, here it is,� she said, waving it in the air.

She handed it to Jane, who noted that Petty, Son and Prestwich had their offices in Woodbine Place, Wanstead.

�I was told the flats were owned by a housing association and most of the residents were tenants.�

�Most of them are, but I expect Mrs.�Smith bought hers under a �Right to Buy� scheme. We were very lucky that it was up for sale � but for her illness I doubt we�d be here now.�

Jane nodded. �How many keys for the garage did your husband have?�

Helen got up and walked over to the side cabinet, where she picked up a Winston Churchill Toby jug and tipped out two small keys onto the palm of her hand.

�Just the two.�

She held them up for Jane to see.

�May I have a quick look?�

Helen handed Jane the keys and she could see that although they were both silver, one looked more tarnished than the other.

�Did the estate agents give you both these keys when you moved in?�

�No, just one of them. Ronald said it�s always best to have a spare key and asked me to take it down the hardware shop and get a spare one cut � the shiny one�s the new one.�

Jane wondered if the previous owner of the flat had also had two garage keys and had given one to someone else.

�Do you know if your neighbors were friendly with Mrs.�Smith?�

�I�ve never really spoken to them about her, but I got the impression she was quite frail and kept herself to herself.�

�OK, that�s all for now, Mrs.�Clarke. Thanks for your assistance and I hope your husband makes a speedy recovery.�

Jane finished her biscuit and took a last sip of her tea.

�Thank you, dear. I�ll remember to ask Ronald your questions, and like I said I�ll ring you after I�ve visited him in hospital.�

After leaving Helen Clarke�s flat, Jane spoke briefly to both neighbors. One couple said they had moved in just after Mrs.�Smith was admitted to the hospice, just over a year ago, and had never met her. The other couple said they had lived next to Elizabeth Smith for five years, had never been in her flat, and only occasionally spoke to her by way of saying hello, and she often ignored them or just nodded. As far as they knew Mrs.�Smith was in her mid-seventies, a widow, though there was a man in his mid- to late forties who sometimes visited her, and it could well have been her son or other close relation. The neighbors didn�t even realize she had owned garage twenty-nine.

It seemed to Jane that Elizabeth Smith had been a bit of a loner and not very sociable. She hoped contacting the estate agents who dealt with the sale of her flat might reveal more about who she left the property to in her will and thereby help to trace her extended family. It was also possible they might know more about the garage, and if anyone was using it prior to the sale of the property.

Jane then went to 14 Edgar House to speak to Rita Brown, who shortly after the robbery had seen two men walking along Blake Hall Road towards Felstead Road, carrying a large black duffle bag. The door was opened by a short rotund man who must have been in the middle of his dinner, as he had traces of food in his grey beard. He looked to be in his early to mid-sixties and was dressed casually in a blue shirt, black trousers and white socks. Jane showed him her warrant card and explained why she wanted to talk to Mrs.�Brown.

�I�m Peter, her husband. Rita�s in the living room watching Nationwide.�

�I�m on the team investigating the robbery in Leytonstone��

�Funnily enough, we�ve just been watching the news and the robbery was mentioned. Reporter said they shot an off-duty officer and at a police car, causing it to crash. Scum of the earth, these bank robbers!�

Jane nodded. �I�d like to speak to your wife about the two men she saw in Blake Hall Road just after the robbery.�

�We were discussing the two men she saw and I went over everything with her in detail � as a result she�s remembered something else that caught her eye.�

�What was it?�

�Best Rita tells you herself, Sergeant Tennison. It would only be hearsay evidence coming from me.� He stood back to let her in. �I used to be in the police myself, you know,� he added proudly.

�In the Met?�

�No, the Royal Parks Keepers, which became known as the Royal Parks Constabulary in 1974. We trained alongside regular police officers, though, and wore a uniform. We had full powers of arrest and could instigate criminal proceedings for offences committed in the Royal Parks.�

He helped Jane out of her raincoat and hung it up on the hallway coat rack.

�Are you still serving?� she asked.

�I did twenty years, then had to retire after a serious injury on duty. I�m a security guard manager on a big building site now.�

Jane noticed his limp as she followed him to the living room.

�How did you injure yourself?�

He stopped and turned around before they reached the living room, then started speaking in a formal tone, almost as if he was giving evidence in court.

�I was night patrol in St. James�s Park when I heard a load of quacking at two�a.m. I instinctively knew the ducks were distressed and went to investigate, only to discover a man thieving the ducks. On seeing me he started to run, carrying a sack full of ducks in his right hand and one by the neck in his left. I had a flashlight, but it died on me and there was no moon or park lights, so it was really hard to see. The next thing I knew I ran into a low metal fence, fell over and smashed my right knee to bits on the pavement � it left me with a gammy leg ever since.�

�Unfortunate way to end your career.� Jane was trying not to laugh.

�I got an ill-health pension and a commendation certificate for the suspect�s arrest and saving the ducks,� he said, beaming.

�You did well to arrest him with a smashed kneecap.�

�Thank you, but as luck would have it he fell over the same fence and knocked himself out. He was a little Chinaman and wanted to sell the ducks to a Chinky restaurant in Soho for crispy duck pancakes.�

He sighed, and Jane found it even harder to keep a straight face.

The living room was the same shape and size as the Clarkes�, with similar decor, but not as bright. Rita Brown was sitting on a brown sofa eating a plate of ham, egg and chips covered in HP Sauce. Peter explained the purpose of Jane�s visit and offered her a seat. His own half-eaten tea was on a tray resting precariously on the edge of the armchair. A small Yorkshire terrier was standing on its hind legs with its paws on the armchair, sniffing at the food.

�Get away, Spud!� Peter ordered, and the terrier instantly lay down in front of the electric fire.

�I�m sorry, I didn�t mean to interrupt your meal. I can come back a bit later if you like,� Jane offered.

Rita patted the sofa. �No, we�ve nearly finished � and there�s some ham left if you�d like a sandwich.�

�I�m fine, thanks.�

Jane sat on the sofa, opened the house-to-house folder and got out the form.

�Do you think the two men I saw were involved in the robbery?�

Rita handed her plate to her husband, who used his fork to push what was left onto his plate.

�We don�t know for certain yet, but it�s possible. Your husband just mentioned you saw something else of interest.�

She nodded. �When I spoke to the sergeant, he told me about the armed robbery in Leytonstone and that a possible getaway car had been set alight in one of the garages, which I didn�t know about at the time I saw the two men in Blake Hall Road.�

Jane instantly realized the significance of the timing between her seeing the two men and the fire.

�Did you see or smell any smoke when you returned to your flat after your shopping trip?�

�No, not a thing, until I heard the fire engines. I went outside, and the firemen were putting out the garage fire. I asked a PC who was with them what was happening, and he advised it was best I return to my flat as inhaling the smoke wouldn�t be good for me.�

�How long after you got home was it you heard the fire engines?�

�A matter of minutes, but it wasn�t until I was discussing what happened with my husband that I remembered about the other two men I saw. Being a former Royal Parks Keeper, he went over everything with me in detail and he thinks these men might be involved as well.�

�I was going to phone the station after tea, but now you�re here you can hear it from the horse�s mouth... so to speak.�

Peter put his food tray on the floor next to his armchair. Spud jumped up and started licking up the scraps of food. Jane knew there were four men who robbed the bank, but there was a strong possibility that after dumping the car they�d split up. She got out her pocket notebook and pen.

�Can you tell me about these other two men, please? Firstly when and where you saw them.�

�Well, I�d just got back to the flat and put the shopping in the kitchen when Spud started scratching at the door, so I knew he was bursting for a tinkle. I took him out on the lawn at the front of the flats. He was lifting his leg when I heard something behind me. I turned around and saw two men walking and talking quietly together.�

�Rita told me she couldn�t make out what they were saying,� Peter added. �But they stopped talking when she turned around, which is rather suspicious.�

�Did you see where they came from?�

Rita shook her head. �No, but they were walking away from the estate towards Blake Hall Road.�

Peter sat up. �They could have come out of the flats at the far end of the estate if they�d been visiting someone, I suppose, but remember the garages are at the back of those end flats.�

Jane knew perfectly where the garages were and wished he�d shut up and let his wife speak, but managed to hide her irritation.

�She didn�t get a good look at them, did you, luv?� Peter prompted.

�Not really � it was only a quick glimpse as Spud started yapping and chasing a squirrel, so I had to go after him and didn�t see them again.�

�I need as much detail as you can recall about them, please, starting with their height?� Jane asked, eager to get the details down in her pocket notebook. �Sometimes it helps to close your eyes, take your time and think about the moment you saw them.�

As Rita closed her eyes Jane could see her husband was about to say something. She politely put a finger to her lips and he reluctantly sat back in his chair.

Rita opened her eyes. �The man nearest me was just a bit taller than my husband and the other one was about this much taller.� She held up two fingers, about eight inches apart.

Peter couldn�t help himself. �I�m five foot eight, which would make the taller man Rita saw six foot two or so.�

Jane smiled tightly as she wrote the men�s heights in her pocket notebook.

�How old do you think they were?�

�The shorter man was maybe in his mid-forties and the taller one quite a bit younger.�

Peter sat up and leaned towards his wife. �How much younger, luv?�

�Eight, ten years, maybe.�

�What about their clothing?� Jane asked quickly, to stop Peter calculating their likely ages.

�The tall man had on a dark blue waist-length jacket and the smaller one was wearing a long black raincoat. I�m sorry, but I can�t remember much about their trousers or shoes other than they were a dark color as well.�

�Don�t worry, Mrs.�Brown, you�re doing really well. This is all very helpful for the investigation.�

�You forgot to tell her about the newsboy!�

Peter stood up and limped off into the hallway.

�Was someone delivering papers at the time?� Jane asked, wondering if there was another potential witness she could speak to.

Rita laughed. �No, it�s what the smaller man was wearing. Peter�s got one just like it.�

Peter quickly returned with a black cloth cap, which he handed to Jane. Jane remembered that Kingston had spoken to Fiona Simpson, who�d said the driver of the getaway car was wearing a gray cloth cap.

�Was it black like this one?�

Rita shook her head. �No, it was gray.�

Peter took the cap from Jane.

�This isn�t a flat cap, it�s called a newsboy cap. They both have the same overall shape and stiff peak in front, but the newsboy is rounder and made up of six or eight triangle-style panels with a cloth button on top.�

He pointed out the differences to Jane as he spoke.

�And you�re sure it was a cap like this?� she asked Rita.

�Yes, Peter�s got some other style flat caps as well, that�s how I know the difference.�

�This is really helpful, Mrs.�Brown. Is there anything you can remember about the smaller man�s facial features?�

�No, like I said I only got a quick look at them, but I think the taller man had dark blond or brown hair.�

�How long was it?�

�Above his jacket collar, I think.�

Jane told Rita she�d like to go over the details of the men she saw in Blake Hall Road when she got off the bus, then read out what the uniform sergeant had written on the house-to-house form.

�You were on the opposite side of the road and only saw them from behind. They were both white men, about five foot eight to five foot ten in height, one had dark hair and the other lighter colored hair. Both were smartly dressed in casual clothes and the one who had a green jacket was carrying a black duffle bag.�

Rita agreed that what the sergeant had written was correct.

�The one with the duffle bag, can you describe his clothing in any more detail?�

Rita thought about it before answering. �His jacket was thigh-length and dark green, like the ones posh people wear, and his trousers were gray.�

�When you say like posh people wear � what do you mean, exactly?�

�Like the ones that Audrey Forbes-Hamilton and Richard DeVere wear in that TV show.�

Peter sighed. �She�s talking about To the Manor Born with Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles.�

Jane had watched the comedy show a couple of times.

�Do you mean a green waxed Barbour jacket?�

�Yes, that�s what they call them � Prince Philip and Charles wear them as well.�

�You also told the sergeant that you thought one of them was smoking a cigar � how sure are you of that?�

�It was definitely a cigar,� she replied without hesitation. �I saw the thick smoke and could smell it when I crossed the road from the bus stop.�

�Did you actually see either of them holding a cigar?�

�No, but when I worked as a secretary my boss smoked cigars, so I know the smell.�

�Can you describe the other man�s clothing?�

�His jacket was black and waist-length, and his trousers were the same color. You certainly ask a lot more questions than your uniform colleague,� she remarked.

�That�s why she�s a detective, dear,� Peter said, nodding sagely.

�Did you tell the uniform sergeant what you�ve just told me?� Jane asked, wondering why he hadn�t written it down on the form.

�He never asked and said he had a lot of flats to visit, then left.�

Jane wasn�t surprised about the sergeant�s behavior, having experienced his lousy attitude for herself.

�Did you happen to notice if there was anyone else in Blake Hall Road at the time?�

�I know the postman was. I saw him come from Felstead Road and walk past the two men towards the estate. I stopped to wait for him and asked if he had anything for number 14, but he didn�t.�

�Did you see where the two men went while you were waiting for the postman?�

�Into Felstead Road, but since you�ve made me think about everything in detail, I�ve a feeling I might have seen them again.�

�Where and when was that?�

�While I was talking to the postman.�

She wondered if Rita was getting confused.

�You saw them twice in Blake Hall Road?�

�Well, I think it was them.�

�Did they still have the black duffle bag?�

�I don�t know, but it might have been in the car.�

�So, you saw them in a car?�

�Yes, but only briefly. It was a fancy sports car � it caught my eye as it came up the street and went past me.�

�What makes you think the two men were in it?�

�The man driving was wearing the same green butcher jacket and there was a man in the passenger seat.�

Peter sighed. �Sergeant Tennison already told you it�s a Barbour jacket.�

�Did you get a better look at their faces this time?�

�No, they went past quite quickly, and it was the car that caught my eye, not them.�

�Can you describe the make and color of the car?�

�I don�t know much about cars, but it only had one door on the driver�s side and was gold.�

�Close your eyes again and think hard, Mrs.�Brown,� Jane encouraged her.

She opened her eyes after a few seconds. �It had one of them black cloth roofs that you can put down in the summer and a big upside-down silver Y in a circle on the front grille bit.�

�Sounds like a Mercedes 450SL convertible,� Peter said.

Jane didn�t know much about cars herself, though having heard Peter suggest it was a Mercedes, the �upside down silver Y� now made sense. To be sure she asked Rita to draw the emblem exactly as she remembered.

�What about the registration plate on the car? Can you recall any of the letters or numbers?�

�I�m sorry, I can�t.�

�There�s no need to apologize, you�ve given us a lot of information already. Do you know if the postman saw the car?�

�He might have done when it went past, but he had his back to it as it came up the road.�

Jane asked Rita if there was anything else she could remember, but Rita was certain she�d told her everything.

�Will you be getting Rita to help with an artist�s impression of the men?� Peter asked.

�I�d have to ask my DI first. Mrs.�Brown didn�t get a good look at their faces, so an artist�s impression may not help much.� She looked at Rita. �What you have told me could be crucial to the investigation. The men you saw may, or may not, have been involved in the robbery, but either way we need to trace and interview them. If you think you see them again, on or off the estate, don�t approach them. Just dial 999, say it�s about the bank robbery, and uniform officers will attend and deal with them.�

Peter accompanied Jane to the front door and held her coat open while she put it on.

�Rita did well, didn�t she?�

�Yes, she did, and you going over everything with her again before I got here certainly helped.�

�I like to think I can still do my bit for Queen and country. You know, I�d love to have been a detective like you � it must be so much more interesting than pounding the beat.�

�Well, it�s each to their own, and uniform work is very rewarding as well. Do the Parks Police have a central CID?�

�We didn�t have a CID at all. If anything major happened the local Met detectives dealt with it.�

Jane wondered if Peter regretted not applying for the Met, but thought it was probably just as well he hadn�t. She thanked him again for his help and left.

Walking to her car she mulled over the information she had gathered. Surely it was more than just coincidence that four men, all with similar builds to the robbers, should be seen on or near the estate shortly after the robbery and close to the time the fire was discovered. Most striking for her was the fact that one of the men was wearing a newsboy cap like the one described by Fiona Simpson, who had seen the driver of the Ford Cortina.

Jane decided to return to the office and tell Kingston what she�d learned from Rita Brown. En route she dropped in to Leytonstone Police Station to collect the house-to-house folder and spoke to the duty sergeant. He informed her that all the flats in Edgar House had been visited, as well as the houses in Blake Hall Road and the first six houses on either side of Felstead Road. He had also debriefed the officers who made the enquiries, and no one reported seeing anything of interest to the investigation.

It was 7 p.m. when Jane got back to Rigg Approach and parked her VW in the street outside the squad offices. She couldn�t remember the key code, and was flustered for a moment, until she remembered to look in the back of her pocket notebook and quickly entered 1066 to open the door. Upstairs the squad room was empty. She knocked on Kingston�s office door, but there was no reply. She knocked again, but still there was no answer, so she opened the door and peeked in, but he wasn�t there, though his jacket was over the back of his chair. She then tried DCI Murphy�s office, only to find it empty as well.

Having seen Kingston�s jacket on the chair, Jane wondered if he might be in the gym working out and decided to go down to the basement to see. As she got near the locker room she could hear a male voice grunting and the rhythmic sound of squeaking metal from gym equipment being used. She entered the locker room and was about to say, �Excuse me, Guv,� when the sight that greeted her froze her to the spot.

Kingston was standing with his back to the door and his trousers down by his ankles, while Katie knelt in front of him on a weightlifting bench that rocked and squeaked in time to Kingston�s thrusts.

Jane was no prude, but this was a situation she didn�t want to get caught up in. She�d never in her life seen another couple having sex, apart from a brief glimpse of a porn movie she�d caught her male colleagues watching in the snooker room on night duty when she was a probationer at Hackney. Thankful she hadn�t disturbed them, Jane crept back up the stairs as quickly as she could and grabbed her coat and shoulder bag, but as she went out of the office onto the landing she could hear Kingston and Katie talking as they walked back up the stairs. She darted into the ladies� toilet across the hallway and sat down to wait for their voices to subside so she could sneak out to her car. She recalled DC Lloyd Johnson saying Katie liked attention and got plenty of it from Kingston, but she�d never imagined they were in a relationship. She heard Katie�s voice just outside the toilet.

�I just need to freshen up after that workout.� She giggled.

Jane slowly pushed the slide catch on the door to lock it.

�Fancy a glass of Scotch?� Kingston asked as he opened the squad room door.

�No thanks, I�m warm enough already,� Katie said, trying to open the toilet door. �Is someone in there? It better not be you, Stanley, or so help me God I�ll rub your nose in anything you�ve left on the seat!�

Jane was in two minds about keeping quiet, hoping Katie might think the door was jammed and give up, but then decided she shouldn�t have to skulk about because of their outrageous behavior.

�It�s me, Jane Tennison � is there a problem?�

�Oh, right, I thought it was Stanley. How long have you been in there?� Katie asked sheepishly.

�I just got back and was desperate for the loo. I�ll be finished in a minute if you�re waiting.�

�It�s all right, take your time.�

She grabbed her hairbrush and went into Kingston�s office.

�Tennison�s in the loo.�

�What�s she doing back here?�

Katie started brushing her hair. �I don�t know... I think she may have heard what I just said to you about being warm already.�

�So what? She doesn�t know what we were up to, but she will if she sees you all flustered. Just calm down and act as if nothing�s happened.�

Katie returned to her desk, sat down and started typing.

�Toilet�s free now, Katie.� Jane walked into the office but Katie didn�t seem to hear her. �Are you all right, Katie?�

�What makes you ask that?�

�You seemed to be in another world, that�s all.�

�The heating�s playing up again � it�s so stuffy in here it�s making me feel nauseous.�

�Is DI Kingston in?�

�Yes, he�s been in his office all evening doing paperwork,� Katie replied as she hurried off to the toilet.

Jane thought that even if she hadn�t seen Katie in the gym with Kingston, she�d have guessed something was up. Guilt was written all over Katie�s face. She might be good at filing, but she was a lousy liar. Jane would have loved to have made a sarcastic comment but bit her lip, knowing it could backfire on her if Katie said anything to Kingston. When she entered his office, he was sitting at his desk writing, with a glass of whisky next to him.

�I didn�t expect to see you back here tonight, Tennison. Something of interest come up?�

�You could say that, sir,� she said, reflecting wryly on what she�d witnessed a few minutes ago. She suppressed a smile. �Mrs.�Brown saw another two men leaving the Edgar House estate just before the fire, and one was wearing a cap similar to the one Fiona Simpson saw the driver of the getaway car wearing. Also, Mrs.�Brown thinks she saw the man carrying the duffle bag in a gold Mercedes sports car, possibly a 450SL convertible.�

Kingston put his pen down and stopped writing.

�Take a seat and tell me exactly what she said. You want a Scotch?�

This time she couldn�t help herself.

�Thanks, sir, it�s cold out so that should warm me up.�

As he poured the drink she got out her pocket notebook and went over her meeting with Rita Brown, and what Mrs.�Clarke had said about the garage keys and the purchase of their flat.

�Bloody hell, you�ve had quite a productive evening, Tennison.�

�Would you like me to make follow-up enquiries with the estate agents who dealt with the sale of 14 Edgar House?�

�Yes. Do it tomorrow morning after the office meeting and speak to the housing association about Mrs.�Smith. They may have some useful information we can work on. Get a photo of a Merc 450SL convertible and show it to Mrs.�Brown. If she says it�s the same type of car she saw, stick it on the office wall. Also buy a newsboy cap of the same color and claim the cost back on an expenses chitty.�

�Is it worth speaking to Fiona Simpson again to get a more detailed description of the cap the driver of the getaway car was wearing?�

Kingston reached into his desk in tray and pulled out two pieces of A4 paper with drawings on them.

�This was dropped off earlier by the police artist.�

He stood beside Jane and put the drawings down in front of her; one was a profile and the other full face. Jane could smell Katie�s perfume on him as he leaned over and pointed to the profile.

�There are no triangular panels on the cap Fiona Simpson described to the artist, but there is a button on top.� He tapped his finger on it.

He went over to his jacket, which was still on the chair, reached in the side pocket and pulled out a beer mat. Jane wondered what he was doing until he picked up his desk phone and started to dial a number which was written on the mat.

�Hi, Fiona, it�s DI Kingston from the Flying Squad. I was wondering if I could come and take a statement from you this evening. I appreciate you�re busy, but I wouldn�t ask unless it was important. It�ll be easier if I explain when I get there. I�ll be about half an hour. Thanks, I really appreciate it. See you in a bit then.� He put the phone down. �That was��

�Fiona Simpson. If it will speed things up I don�t mind writing the statement while you get the details from her.�

�Thanks for the offer, but Simpson�s pub is on my route home, whereas you live in the opposite direction. You�ve done well today, so go home and put your feet up.�

She finished her Scotch and stood up.

�I�ll see you in the morning then.�

�Could you grab me some statement forms from the documents tray in the squad room, please, while I sort myself out?�

He picked up his jacket and put his pen in the inside pocket. Jane nodded and went to get the forms.

�Everything all right?� Katie asked, as Jane opened the statement form tray and got a handful out.

�Yes, DI Kingston needs to get an urgent statement regarding some information I got earlier this evening.� She put the forms in a folder.

�You got the statement forms, Jane?� Kingston asked as he came out of his office.

�Yes, Guv.� She smiled.

He handed a copy of the artist�s impressions to Katie.

�Stick them up on the wall for me. I�ve got to shoot out on an urgent enquiry. Man the phones for another hour then you can go home.�

�Will you be coming back to the office tonight?� Katie asked.

�No,� Kingston said as he and Jane left the room together.

�Bitch!� Katie muttered to herself, wondering exactly what sort of �urgent� enquiry they were really on.

Jane was up at 6:30 the next morning, as she didn�t know what the journey to work would be like at that time and didn�t want to be late. After a light breakfast of tea and toast with marmalade she got ready for work. Although most of the team dressed in what was commonly referred to in the job as �scruffs,� she decided to dress smart but casual. After a few minutes hemming and hawing, she put on her blue Wrangler jeans, a white T-shirt, blue blazer and white trainers, which she thought would be the most practical if she had to chase anyone. She was out of the door and on her way by seven and was parking her car in one of the spaces in front of the building just before eight, which was quicker than she expected.

There was no one in the office and, looking at her lone desk in the corner of the room, she decided to move it over to Teflon�s group of four. She disconnected the phone line, then removed the drawers and tried pulling and pushing the desk, but it was too heavy for her to move on her own. Luckily Dabs then walked in and Jane asked if he�d mind helping her.

�No problem,� he said, taking his coat off.

�It�s quite heavy so it�s probably best if I push and you pull.�

As they slid the desk across the office, Dabs asked if she�d heard back from the traffic officer about the ignition barrel on the Cortina.

�Not yet. I�ll give him a call just before the meeting as DCI Murphy said he wants the owner of the car visited today.�

�How did your further enquiries go last night at Edgar House?�

�Very productive, actually. I found out about another two men who were seen leaving the estate just before the fire was discovered.�

�Well done. Would the witness recognize them again?�

�I doubt it, but she described one of them as wearing a cap like the one the pub landlady said the driver of the Cortina was wearing, and she thinks she saw the two men with the duffle bag in a Mercedes sports car.�

�Sounds like it�s all coming together nicely � the DCI will be pleased.�

�We�ll see.� Jane doubted Murphy would be pleased with anything she did at the moment. �I�ve got some follow-up work to do on the four men, and the previous ownership of garage twenty-nine. I�m hoping it will give us something positive to work on.�

�Be interesting to hear at the office meeting if anyone else has discovered anything of value. You fancy a bacon sarnie and coffee from the burger van?�

�A bacon roll would be great � I�ll put the kettle on and make us a coffee.�

She reached into her handbag and got some money out of her purse.

�I�ll get them � your shout next time.�

�OK. Could I have some brown sauce with mine, please?�

While the kettle boiled Jane put the drawers back in her desk, reconnected the phone and went over to Katie�s desk to get the typewriter so she could finish typing her report. She noticed that Katie had only started typing one of the handwritten statements taken from the security guards and part of it was still in the typewriter. She sat down at Katie�s desk and began to type the rest of the statement.

When Dabs returned with the bacon rolls, Jane made the coffees and sat at her own desk to eat. She could imagine Katie�s reaction if she got any crumbs or brown sauce on hers. Dabs said he had a few things to do before the meeting and went to his office. After finishing her roll, she went back to typing up the statement at Katie�s desk, and was just about finished when Katie walked in.

Jane smiled brightly. �Good morning, Katie. I was just��

�What are you doing at my desk?� she snapped.

�I needed the typewriter for my report and thought I�d finish the security guards� statement for you before I used it.�

�I�m perfectly capable of doing my own typing.�

Jane took a deep breath. �Sorry. I thought you wanted help typing the statements.�

�I did last night, but I�ve cleared my desk of other work so I can do them today.�

�Well, if you want me to do some just let me know,� Jane said with a shrug.

Katie pointed to a typewriter on the Colonel�s desk.

�There�s a spare one there you can use for your reports. Why have you moved your desk?�

Jane thought it was obvious. �I thought it would be more productive as a DS if I sat with members of the team � like DS Stanley does.�

�You should have asked for permission first.�

�I didn�t know I needed it.�

�Well, I suggest you put it back where it was and ask DCI Murphy if you can move it.�

�It�s only a desk, Katie.�

�That�s not the point. The office is laid out the way it is for a reason.�

�And what reason would that be?� Jane asked, letting her annoyance show.

�How would you like it if I just walked into your house and rearranged the furniture the way I wanted it to be?�

Jane shook her head in disbelief. �That�s a ridiculous comparison, but if it will make you feel better I�ll tell DCI Murphy I moved my desk and ask him if he�s OK about it.�

�I�d still put it back where it was if I were you.�

�It�s that heavy I nearly pulled a muscle moving it in the first place � so it can stay where it is for now.�

At that moment DCI Murphy walked into the office, followed by the Colonel and Teflon.

�Everything all right, ladies?� Murphy asked, sensing an air of hostility between the two women.

Katie was quick to answer before Jane could get a word in.

�As you can see, DS Tennison has moved her desk. I told her she should have asked your permission before doing so.�

�It�s fine there by me.� Teflon gave Jane a wink.

Katie glared at him. �I was speaking to DCI Murphy.�

Murphy sighed. �It�s only a bloody desk, Katie. I couldn�t give a toss if Tennison wants to put it in the backyard, as long as she gets on with her work. Who owns that custard tart on wheels that�s parked in my space?�

�If you�re referring to the yellow VW Golf, that�s mine, sir,� Jane said.

�Well, don�t park it there again. Someone get me a bacon and egg roll and a cup of tea.�

He slapped a pound note down on the desk and went into his office.

Jane frowned. �What�s the problem? There are plenty of spaces out there.�

Teflon smiled. �Yeah, but he likes the one nearest the entrance in case it�s raining. I�ll put the kettle on.�

�Don�t move the kettle, Teflon, or all hell could break loose,� the Colonel joked, and Jane smiled.

Katie grabbed the pound note before stomping out of the room to the burger van.

�What�s up with her?� Teflon asked.

�Who knows?� The Colonel shrugged. �Probably the wrong time of the month � either that or she�s desperate for a shag.� He draped his jacket over the back of his chair, then threw his cap at the coat rack, where it landed on one of the hooks. �James Bond or what?� he said with a grin.

�Fiver says you can�t do it two out of three,� Teflon challenged. �That was a bloody fluke, and you know it.�

The Colonel settled himself behind his desk.

�I could do it easy, but I don�t want to take your money, so I won�t.�

�You two want a hot drink?� Teflon asked.

Jane said she�d like a coffee and went over to give him a hand, while the Colonel got a clear plastic sports bottle out of his backpack with a thick pale liquid in it and held it up.

�No thanks, I�ve got me banana, egg and water mix, so I�m fine.� He shook the bottle then took a swig.

�He thinks it makes him stronger, but all it does is make him fart a lot,� Teflon whispered to Jane. �Was Katie really getting upset about the desk or just having a go at you?�

�I don�t know � a bit of both, maybe. I�m doing my best to be friendly towards her, but I think she�s got a bee in her bonnet about me being on the team.�

�Well, she�s going to have to get used to it and stop being so high and mighty. If she does start on you again just put her in her place � as a DS she�s answerable to you, not the other way around.�

�Trouble is, I think she�d go running to Murphy and complain. The last thing I need right now is to give him a reason to reprimand me.�

�As you just saw, Murphy finds her a pain in the arse at times, so I wouldn�t worry about it. If she�s going to complain about you it would probably be to Kingston.�

�Why him?� she asked, trying not to sound too curious.

�Everyone reckons Katie�s got the hots for him. She�s in and out of his office like a yo-yo and does whatever he asks at the drop of a hat � if he said jump, she�d ask how high.�

�Do you think he fancies her?� she asked, wondering if he knew about their affair.

Teflon laughed. �Kingston�s definitely a ladies� man, but personally I think he just likes to flirt with Katie to keep her on her toes. Mind you, some of the lads reckon they�re at it.�

�What does DCI Murphy think?�

�Don�t know. Although he�s pretty close to Kingston, I don�t think he�d approve if they were screwing each other.�

Jane realized she was probably the only one on the team who knew for a fact Katie and Kingston were having a sexual relationship, and she was going to keep it that way for fear of being called a scandalmonger. The last thing she wanted was to alienate Kingston, one of the few who had so far accepted her on the team. She sat at her desk with her coffee and rang PC Turner, the traffic officer.

�Hi, it�s WDS Tennison. I was just calling to ask if there�s any news on the burnt-out Cortina�s ignition barrel.�

�Did you not get my report?�

�No, but I don�t think the morning dispatch has arrived here yet. Your report may still be in transit.�

�I didn�t put it in dispatch � I delivered it by hand last night and was told you were out on enquiries.�

�Who did you give it to?�

�I spoke to a lady on the intercom who said she was the office clerk. She came down to the front entrance and I handed it to her. She asked what it was about, and I told her my examination of the burnt-out Cortina and ignition barrel.�

�That would be Katie. It may be on her desk. What was the result with the barrel?�

�I took it to bits and did a microscopic examination. There�s no evidence I can find that suggests to me a screwdriver or similar implement was forced into the barrel to start the car.�

�Looks like the owner of the car may be hiding something then,� she remarked.

�Certainly does. My report contains everything I did at Edgar House yesterday. If you need a written statement just let me know and I�ll get it typed up here then forward both copies to you.�

�Thanks. Can I ask what time you dropped the report off?�

�About six. Is there a problem?�

�No, not at all. Thanks for everything you�ve done, it�s really useful and I know our DCI will be pleased.�

�It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope you catch the villains.�

Jane put the phone down and looked in her in tray and desk drawers, but there was no sign of the report. She then looked on Katie�s desk, but it wasn�t there either. She contemplated looking in Katie�s desk drawers but didn�t want to look as if she was snooping. Looking out of the window she could see Katie walking across the road, carrying Murphy�s food in a brown bag, so she went out onto the landing and waited for her.

�Have you got a report that was dropped off for me by a Traffic Division officer last night?� Jane asked as Katie appeared.

�I put it on DCI Murphy�s desk,� she said casually, brushing past Jane.

Jane followed her. �But it was addressed to me.�

�I know, but when the traffic officer said what it was about, and you weren�t here, I thought DCI Murphy should see it in case he wanted to action further enquiries right away.�

�Why didn�t you tell me about it when I got back to the station last night?�

Katie turned, shrugged her shoulders and looked at Jane nonchalantly.

�I forgot. Now if you don�t mind I need to take this to DCI Murphy,� she said, holding up the bag.

�Did he send anyone round to the Cortina owner�s house?�

�I don�t know, I didn�t ask him,� she said, entering Murphy�s office.

Jane was certain Katie had given the report to Murphy and not told her about it deliberately to annoy her. As she walked back into the office, she was determined not to let Katie�s behavior get to her, but she knew there might come a point where she would need to heed Teflon�s advice and reprimand her.

Katie put Murphy�s roll and tea on his desk.

�Just a dab of tomato sauce and lots of pepper, the way you like it, sir.�

Murphy grunted his thanks. �Is there a problem between you and Tennison?�

�No, sir, I just felt she should have had the decency to ask before she moved her desk, that�s all.�

�You don�t like Tennison, do you?�

�I don�t really know her yet, but it I suppose it would be fair to say she�s not someone I�d necessarily socialize with.�

Murphy nodded. �I�d like you to do something for me but keep it between the two of us.�

�Yes, sir, you can trust me to be discreet.�

�While I�m in here, and Tennison�s out there, I want you to keep an eye on her for me. When she puts a report in to be indexed, go over it with a fine-toothed comb and let me know if there�s anything she hasn�t done she should have done.�

�Will DI Kingston still be going over her reports after I�ve indexed them?�

�Yes, but I don�t think he�ll be as thorough as he should.�

�Why not?�

�He seems to like Tennison and thinks we should give her a chance to prove herself.�

�He said that?� Katie asked, her brows furrowed.

�Yes, but as far as I�m concerned she should be treated the same as everyone else. If her work�s not up to scratch or the standards I expect, I need to know for her first monthly review as a new member of the team.�

Katie smiled. �Would you like me to eavesdrop on her telephone calls as well?�

Murphy hesitated. �When you can, but don�t make it too obvious. Like I said, this conversation is just between the two of us. It would be good if you were nice to her as well � that way she won�t suspect anything untoward.�

Katie sighed. �I�ll do my best.�

He picked up an envelope. �This is addressed to Tennison; someone must have put it on my desk by mistake. Can you give it to her?�

�That was me, sir � a Traffic Division officer delivered it late last night.� She explained what the report was about. �I realized how important the information might be and thought you might like to see it first thing and decide what action needed to be taken before the meeting. I also ran a criminal record check on Mr.�Braun, who reported the Cortina stolen, but there was no trace of him.�

�Good thinking, Katie. I�ll read the report while I have my breakfast � then when everyone�s in we�ll crack on with the meeting.�

�There was something else that got phoned in last night.�

�Fire away,� he said as he bit into the roll.

�The duty sergeant from Tottenham called last night and said a woman came to the station alleging some men in a local cafe were talking about a robbery.�

�Is that it? No details of what she heard being said?�

�I did ask but the sergeant said he was very busy and had just got her name and address when he had to take an urgent phone call. When he got off the phone the woman had left the station.�

�I doubt the people we�re after would be so stupid as to openly talk in a cafe about a blagging they were going to do! Sounds like the woman�s a nutter looking for attention to me.�

�I agree it�s probably nonsense, but it would be wrong of us to ignore it � so I was thinking WDS Tennison would be the ideal person to follow it up,� she added with a bright smile.

Murphy took a mouthful of tea to wash his food down and grinned.

�Draw up an action to interview the woman and I�ll give it to Tennison to deal with at the meeting.�

As she left his office, Murphy opened the envelope containing PC Turner�s report, feeling pleased with himself. He knew Katie would do everything she could to find fault in Tennison�s work, and that way he couldn�t be accused of carrying out a personal vendetta against her.

Katie approached Jane as she was sitting at her desk typing.

�DCI Murphy is reading the traffic officer�s report. I explained to him why I put it on his desk and asked if I could give it to you, but he said he�d like to read it first. I�m sorry I forgot to mention it last night, but I wasn�t feeling well, and it just slipped my mind. Next time I�ll put anything that comes in for you straight on your desk.�

Jane looked up from her typing. She wondered if Murphy had said something to make Katie apologize for her behavior. Or perhaps she really had just forgotten. After all, she�d just been having sex with Kingston, and was clearly flustered when Jane turned up.

�Forget about it, Katie. Even if I�d known about the report last night no action could be taken until DCI Murphy had read it.�

�Thanks. Would you like a hot drink?�

�No thanks, I�ve just had one. I�ve nearly finished my report, then if you like I could type one of the statements on your desk.�

�That would be great, but the office meeting will be starting as soon as everyone�s here.�

�Well, I�ll do what I can before it starts.�

Katie went to her desk, picked up a handwritten statement and gave it to Jane.

Kingston walked in carrying a coffee and a sausage roll and went straight to his office. Katie quickly followed him, then closed the door behind her and stood by his desk with her arms crossed.

�Where did you go with Tennison last night?�

Kingston put his breakfast down on the desk.

�I didn�t go anywhere with her � I went to the Crown to get a statement from the landlady.�

He pulled the statement out of the folder and showed it to her.

�Then why did you leave together?�

�I told her to go home. She got in her car then drove off in the opposite direction to me. For Christ�s sake, what�s your problem, Katie?�

�I just thought the way you left last night was rather abrupt, especially as we�d just... you know. It felt as if you were more interested in her.�

He pointed to himself. �Me, interested in Tennison? You couldn�t be more wrong � I don�t even find her attractive.�

�Then why are you being so nice to her?�

�Being nice doesn�t mean I fancy her��

�DCI Murphy doesn�t like her.�

�Murphy doesn�t like the fact a woman is on the Flying Squad. He sees Tennison as a liability and will do his damnedest to get rid of her.�

�And will you help him?�

�Look, I made a few phone calls before she came here. By all accounts she�s not a bad detective, but working on the Flying Squad is a totally different ball game from divisional work and I for one don�t think she�ll be up to it.�

�Murphy wants me to keep an eye on her and report back to him if she messes up.�

�Then there�s no need for me to get involved as well.�

�As her DI you should bring her mistakes to Murphy�s attention.�

�I know what my job is, Katie, and I�m not going to put myself on the line with Murphy by not doing it � least of all for Tennison. Now can I please finish my sausage roll in peace before the office meeting?�

�My boyfriend�s out with his mates tonight so you could come around to mine if...�

Kingston frowned. �He nearly caught us last time I did that. I ripped my jacket climbing over your garden fence, and my wife started asking me questions about how it happened.�

�Maybe we should tell our other halves that we�ve met someone else,� Katie suggested. �Then we can openly be together and stop sneaking around � I�m tired of sex in the gym or a car.�

He obviously wasn�t expecting this.

�We both agreed our relationship was just a fling. Besides, you only just got engaged to Brian. You don�t really want to break it off, do you?�

�I don�t know. I don�t think Brian and I are right together. He�s not like you � sex with him is like a boring routine.�

This was something new and it was making Kingston anxious. He certainly had no intention of leaving his wife for another woman � least of all Katie.

�Now�s not a good time to be having this conversation, Katie.�

�Why not?�

�Because there�s a lot to discuss, and it needs to be in private, away from the office.�

�Tonight then, at mine... after work.�

She left before he could answer.

Kingston threw what was left of his sausage roll in the bin, his appetite suddenly gone.

The Colonel and Baxter parked up outside Frank Braun�s address in Tottenham. The large three-bedroom, 1930s-built, semi-detached house was on Mount Pleasant Road, a quiet residential road. The Colonel pointed out to Baxter that the upstairs bedroom curtains were closed, suggesting someone was in, then pressed the doorbell. After nearly a minute there was no reply, so he pressed it again and stepped back to see if the curtains moved.

�They�re taking their time. Should I climb over the side fence and cover the back?� Baxter asked.

The Colonel shook his head. �If this Braun bloke is involved in the robbery and made a false stolen vehicle claim he�ll front us out... Hang on, someone�s opening the curtain.�

A bleary-eyed, bare-chested man in his late thirties pulled back the curtain and opened the window.

�If you�re selling something I�m not interested!� he shouted.

�You Frank Braun?� the Colonel asked.

�I might be � who are you?�

The Colonel held up his warrant card.

�I�m DC Gorman and this is DC Baxter. We�d like to speak to you about the �76 Mark 4 Cortina you reported stolen.�

�You found it?� Mr.�Braun asked, looking pleased.

�Yes, but I�d rather we talk about it inside,� the Colonel replied.

Braun put on a dressing gown, went downstairs and let the two detectives in.

�You from Tottenham CID?� Braun asked as they followed him into the living room.

�No, the Flying Squad,� the Colonel replied.

Braun sighed. �Don�t tell me the car was used in a robbery?�

�What made you jump to that conclusion?� the Colonel asked.

�Nothing, it just seems obvious as you lot investigate armed robberies.�

The Colonel nodded. �Very perceptive � you assumed right, Mr.�Braun. Have you seen the news about the armed robbery on a security van in Leytonstone yesterday?�

�No, I haven�t��

The Colonel smirked. �And there was me thinking you might know all about it.�

Braun could tell they were taking the mickey.

�Have you found my Cortina or not?� he asked bluntly.

�Four armed men used your car to rob a bank yesterday, then torched it to destroy any forensic evidence.�

�Is the car a write-off?� Braun asked.

�It was totally burnt out, so you won�t be driving it again,� the Colonel said.

Braun sighed. �There goes my no claims bonus.�

�You don�t seem very upset that your motor�s a write-off,� Baxter remarked.

He shrugged. �There�s not a lot I can do about it now, is there?�

�How many keys do you have for the vehicle?� the Colonel asked.

�Just one... and no doubt you�d like to see it.�

He walked over to a side cabinet and, opening a drawer, he removed the key.

�Lose the other one, did you?� the Colonel asked.

Braun frowned as he handed the key to the Colonel.

�As it happens, yes, and I haven�t bothered to get a replacement � though it�s clearly not worth doing so now, is it?�

�How and where did you lose the key?� Baxter asked.

�I didn�t lose it. It was stolen��

Baxter interrupted. �Of course it was � no doubt by a pickpocket and you didn�t feel a thing.�

Braun opened his eyes wide. �That�s right! Was that a wild guess or can you read minds?�

The Colonel took a step towards him. �It�s not in your interest to be flippant with us, Mr.�Braun.�

Braun folded his arms. �Are you threatening to arrest me?�

�We can continue this conversation here or down at the station � the choice is yours,� Baxter said.

Braun glared at him. �If you�d had the decency to let me finish, I was going to tell you my wife was at the Coolbury nightclub with some friends when her handbag was stolen. And before you ask, she reported it to the police and gave them a list of everything that was in the bag � including the car keys.�

�Where�s the Coolbury?� Baxter asked as he got out his pocket notebook to write the location down.

�In Tottenham High Road near the junction with White Hart Lane � a lot of the Spurs players use it.�

�Well, I doubt one of them would nick a handbag.� Baxter smirked.

�I�d like you to tell me exactly why you�re both here, because I�m sensing it�s not just to tell me my car was found,� Braun demanded.

The Colonel looked him in the eye. �We had a vehicle examiner go over what was left of your car. In his expert opinion nothing was forced into the ignition barrel to start the vehicle and it wasn�t hot-wired either, which means�� He paused to let Braun answer.

�A key was used to start it... and you think I might be involved in some way.�

�Are you, Mr.�Braun?� the Colonel asked.

�No, I�m not. The car was stolen from outside my house while I was on holiday in Mauritius with my wife. My neighbor noticed it was gone, but he didn�t realize it had been stolen.�

�All sounds a bit fishy to me,� Baxter remarked.

�Do I look like someone who�d be involved in a bank robbery?�

The Colonel grinned. �Believe me, they come in all shapes and sizes��

�This is ridiculous, I�ve got a holiday booking receipt and a dated Mauritian entry stamp in my passport.�

He walked towards the cabinet to get them.

�It�s OK, I don�t doubt you were on holiday, but who�s to say the theft of the key and being on holiday isn�t a set up alibi?� the Colonel suggested.

Braun was struggling to remain calm. �I can put up with you calling me a liar � but don�t you dare insinuate my wife is!�

�Where were you yesterday morning?� Baxter asked.

�What time did this robbery occur?�

�About 9:45,� Baxter said.

�I was at work until eleven o�clock Thursday morning, then drove home and didn�t get back here until about half past. You can check it out with my work colleagues��

�You got two cars then?� Baxter asked.

�Yeah, my wife used the Cortina mostly, for shopping and running the kids to and from school.�

�What�s your other car?� Baxter asked.

�A BMW 323i, which I now keep in the garage, for obvious reasons.�

�Then what�s your wife using now?� the Colonel asked.

�My car if I�m not using it, and public transport if I am.�

�What do you do for a living?� the Colonel asked.

�I�m in the London Fire Brigade, as a senior fire investigator based in the West End. I�m night shift this week and was called out to a residential arson at two o�clock Thursday morning. Someone poured petrol through a letterbox, thankfully no one was hurt, and I worked the scene with a scientist and one of your lab liaison sergeants.�

�Who was the sergeant?� Baxter asked, ready to write the name down.

�Paul Lawrence. I�ve worked a few arson scenes with him before and socialized with him at forensic conferences.�

�Why didn�t you tell us you were a fireman earlier?� the Colonel asked.

�I would have done if you�d asked, but I didn�t think it had anything to do with why you came to see me.�

�Well, it certainly puts things in a different light... Was there anything in your wife�s handbag with your address on it?�

�She didn�t think so at the time, but it�s possible. Our bloody house keys were in her handbag as well, so I had to have the front door locks changed � which wasn�t cheap.�

�Can I have a look at the vehicle registration certificate for the previous keeper?�

�I bought it off the station officer on Red Watch at Soho where I work. Mick Goddard � he lives in Romford.�

Braun got the document from a drawer in the kitchen and gave it to Baxter, who wrote down Goddard�s details in his pocket notebook.

�Look, my car was obviously started with a key, but from personal experience in dealing with burnt-out cars I have known cases where a different, but similar, key has been used to start a stolen car.�

�It�s possible that�s what happened, and I�ll discuss it with the traffic officer who examined your car,� the Colonel said.

�Can you tell me where the car is now? I�ll need to inform the insurance company.�

�It�s at the Met lab in Lambeth undergoing examination. You know where that is?� Baxter replied.

�We submit our fire investigation exhibits there for examination, so yes, I know where it is.�

�Give them a ring and they�ll let you know when they�ll be finished with it,� Baxter suggested.

The Colonel shook Braun�s hand. �Thanks for your assistance. I�m sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, but I�m sure you understand we have a job to do.�

�It�s OK, no harm done.�

�Just for our records, what�s your wife�s name and occupation, please?�

�Elizabeth � she�s an assistant teacher at a local school.�

Baxter made a note in his pocket notebook, then tore out a page with his details and the office number on it and handed it to Braun.

�If there�s anything else you think of that might be of help to our investigation, then ring us on this number.�

As they got into the unmarked police car, Baxter, who was driving, turned to the Colonel.

�What do you reckon about Braun?�

�He�s dodgy. It wasn�t that long ago the brigade got pissed off about the Edmund-Davies report recommending a forty-five percent pay rise for police and they went on strike wanting more money.�

Baxter laughed. �I remember that. Each nick had to have a dedicated fire patrol car and the army were called in to attend fires � it was a shambles. But what�s that got to do with him being dodgy?�

�Yeah, well, they only got a ten percent rise � their pay and pensions are shit so a lot of them moonlight to earn more money.�

�You think he�s moonlighting as a criminal?�

�The theft of his wife�s handbag might be legit, but he could have given his spare key to the robbers and made sure they nicked the car while he was on holiday.�

�You reckon?� Baxter said skeptically.

The Colonel looked at Baxter as if he were a fool. �Braun�s got a nice three-bedroom semi and a BMW 323i, which happens to be the most expensive model in the range � it only came out last year � plus he can afford a holiday in Mauritius. Think about it, Bax. He�d have to do a lot more than a bit of honest moonlighting to afford all that on a fucking fireman�s wage.�

�His wife might have a good job.�

�Don�t you listen? He said she was an assistant teacher. They get paid a pittance � probably not even half of what he does. For my money, Mr.�Frank Braun�s a wrong �un and we need to do a bit more digging. Let�s go to Tottenham nick and check out the crime report about the theft of Mrs.�Braun�s handbag.�

Cam dropped Jane off by her car and left with Teflon to get the PCs� statement. She was looking in her A-Z when she saw a woman pushing a pram along the pavement and asked her if she knew whereabouts in the High Road the Co-op department store was. The woman said it was at the north end, near Tottenham Hotspur�s football ground, which was about a mile away. Unsure what the parking restrictions in the High Road would be, and as it was a reasonably nice day and not too cold, she decided to walk.

The High Road Co-op was a three-storey art deco-style Edwardian department store with a white rendered facade and a prominent square corner tower with Tuscan-style pillars. On the base of the tower there was a square panel with the Co-op logo of intertwined letters: �LCS� for the London Co-operative Society and �1930,� signifying the year it opened.

Jane asked a female employee where the manager�s office was. She said he was on holiday and escorted her to the undermanager�s office on the ground floor. He was in his mid-thirties, tall, dark-haired and slim, with a neatly trimmed black moustache, and wore a dark shiny charcoal-colored two-piece suit, white shirt and black Windsor knot tie. He reminded Jane of someone out of a new wave pop band. He had a pleasant smile, was well spoken and said his name was Jeffery Dobbs. She introduced herself and he shook her hand with a firm grip.

�Does a Miss Emma Wilson work here?�

�Emma�s not in trouble, is she?� he asked.

�No, she reported an incident to Tottenham CID that I�m investigating.�

�Is it those kids shouting abuse and throwing food again?� he asked, frowning.

�Yes,� Jane said quickly. She didn�t want to reveal she was investigating an armed robbery.

�The youth of today have no respect for anyone, or anything � they make me sick to the stomach, the way they behave. That Broadwater Farm is a terrible place to live. I know Emma regrets ever moving there. When she first told me about the abuse, I helped her draft some letters to the council requesting a move, but to no avail.�

�It�s to your credit that you care for your employees� well-being, Mr.�Dobbs. Can you tell me which department Emma works in, please?� she asked, eager not to waste any more time.

�Drapery. It�s like a home from home for Emma � she makes all her own clothes.� He looked at an employee work chart on the wall. �She will be at lunch just now in the staff canteen.� He opened the door. �If you�d like to follow me, officer, I�ll take you upstairs. Emma�s quite reserved and tends not to socialize with the other ladies, but she has a heart of gold. It�s unusual for her to complain about anything, and I can only imagine that she reported this latest abuse because she was at breaking point. Actually, come to think of it, now the police are involved I should write another letter to the council. Perhaps they might finally listen and move them off the Broadwater.�

As they climbed the stairs, Jane suspected she might have dug a hole for herself by lying to him about why she�d come to see Emma.

�It�s probably best to speak to Emma first and see if that�s what she wants you to do.�

�Good point, I�ll speak to her later.�

There were several employees in the canteen, chatting and laughing while eating their lunch. The women were all dressed in white frilled blouses and black skirts, and the men wore dark suits, white shirts and ties. Jane noticed a woman in her fifties sitting alone in the corner of the room reading a book.

�Is that Emma over there?� she asked.

�No, that�s her over there, putting her dirty plate and cutlery on the trolley.�

He nodded towards a woman with her back to them. She was dressed like the other employees and had shiny black hair neatly tied up in a bun.

He raised his voice. �Miss Wilson, could I have a word, please?�

Emma turned around and Jane was surprised to see a young woman of about her age, not the middle-aged woman she�d imagined. Although she only wore a little make-up her olive skin had a soft glow, which made her lips stand out. She had a slight Mediterranean appearance, with an hourglass figure, petite nose and brown doe eyes.

�Yes, Mr.�Dobbs?� she asked with an engaging smile as she walked over.

�Let�s go sit over there, shall we...? Away from prying ears.� Dobbs pointed to a table in the far corner.

Jane spoke first in a soft and reassuring manner.

�Hi, Emma, I�m Jane Tennison from the CID. I went to your flat earlier but as there was no one in I spoke to a neighbor who told me you work here. I wanted to speak to you about the crime report you made at Tottenham Police Station.�

�Yes, certainly... Pleased to meet you.� Emma put out her hand and Jane shook it.

Dobbs sat back and got a packet of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket, offering one to Jane. She wanted to be alone with Emma and didn�t fancy plumes of cigarette smoke billowing around while they spoke.

�No thanks � I would love a cup of coffee though. Would you like one, Emma?�

�A cup of tea would be nice, thank you,� she replied.

Dobbs put the cigarettes back in his pocket as Jane opened her shoulder bag, but Dobbs said he�d get the drinks and asked Jane if she would like anything to eat. She looked over at the counter, saw some teacakes on a plate inside a glass dome cover and asked if she could have one with some butter and jam on it.

As Dobbs got up and left the table, Emma leaned towards Jane and whispered, �Does Mr.�Dobbs know why I went to the police station the other night?�

�Do you want him to?�

She shook her head. �No, my sister told me not to tell anyone other than the police for now.�

Jane decided it was best to be honest.

�He was concerned about why I wanted to speak to you and mentioned you�d suffered verbal abuse from some local kids who also threw food at you. I told him a little lie and said it was about that � but he now thinks it�s happened again.�

Emma looked concerned. �Do you think I should tell him the truth?�

�That�s up to you, but for now I think it�s best we keep it between the two of us and stick to the verbal abuse story.�

Emma nodded. �I understand, officer.�

�Please, call me Jane. Have you actually reported the abuse incidents to the police?�

�Um, no, we were worried if we did the police would have to speak to the boys and it would only make things worse for us.�

Dobbs returned with the food and drinks.

�I got you a teacake as well, Emma, and I�ve just arranged for someone to cover for you in drapery, so there�s no need to rush.�

He sat down and took a sip of his coffee.

Jane got out her pocket notebook and pen and put them on the table, wondering how best to get rid of Dobbs.

Before she could say anything, Emma gave him a forlorn look, then leaned towards him and whispered, �I don�t wish to appear rude, Mr.�Dobbs, but the officer wants me to tell her about the disgusting language the boys used when they abused us, which as a woman I�d rather not repeat in your presence... if you don�t mind.�

�I totally understand, Emma. I�ll leave you to discuss it with Sergeant Tennison.� He stood up.

She looked up at him and spoke softly. �Thank you for being so understanding, Mr.�Dobbs.�

He smiled, put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.

�I�ll be in my office if you need me, Emma. Perhaps the two of us can draft another letter to the council about the ongoing abuse.�

�Thank you, Mr.�Dobbs,� she said, and he left.

Jane wondered from their body language if there was more than just a working relationship between them. She was also surprised at how naturally Emma had lied to him.

Jane smiled. �I don�t think Mr.�Dobbs will be too pleased when he finds out I lied to him � and neither will my boss if he reports me,� she said, and sipped her tea.

�I believe you told the duty sergeant you heard some men in a cafe talking about a robbery.�

Emma dabbed the cake crumbs from her lips with a napkin.

�No, it was my sister Rachel.�

Jane was confused. �Your sister spoke to the sergeant?�

�No, she didn�t want to go into the station, so I spoke to him about what happened in the cafe. I�ve never been in the cafe � Rachel was, and the men were sitting a couple of tables away from her.�

�Then they must have been talking loudly if she heard what they were saying in a busy cafe?�

Jane was beginning to wonder if Emma was confused about what had happened, or even making things up to get some attention.

�Rachel didn�t actually hear what was said � she saw what was said.�

Jane put her pen down and sat back in her chair.

�I�m finding this a bit confusing, Emma. Did you tell the duty sergeant you were there on behalf of your sister?�

�In a way, yes. I told him Rachel is deaf and she thought she saw some men talking about a robbery in a cafe. I assumed he�d passed it on, but clearly not.�

Suddenly Jane understood. �Your sister can lip-read.�

Emma looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

�Yes, but only me and a few close friends know � including you, now.�

Jane was pleased that Emma was confiding in her.

�Thank you for telling me. But I will have to tell my boss if it turns out to be connected to our investigation.�

�That�s OK, she�ll have no problem with police officers knowing.�

�Why doesn�t Rachel like to tell people she can lip-read?�

�She reckons the big advantage of people not knowing is it allows her to judge their personalities when they realize she is deaf.�

�What do you mean?�

�She can lip-read their rude comments about her deafness.�

�I bet she feels like giving them a piece of her mind when that happens.�

Emma frowned. �She would if she could, but she can�t speak.�

�I�m sorry, I didn�t realize��

�It�s not your fault. Life would be easier for the deaf if more people learned to use sign language. That�s the way Rachel and I mostly communicate, apart from leaving little notes for each other � especially after we�ve had an argument.�

�What did you tell the uniform sergeant when you spoke to him yesterday?�

�I spoke to him on Tuesday evening after work.�

�Are you sure about that? The information sheet I was given said you were at the station yesterday evening.�

Emma shook her head. �I know it was Tuesday evening. Rachel told me about the men in the cafe on Monday evening after I got home from work.�

�What exactly happened at the station?�

�Rachel didn�t want to go in and waited outside. The sergeant at the front counter asked how he could help me. I told him my sister was in a cafe on Bruce Grove on Monday morning and saw two men talking and she thought it was about robbing a van. He asked what I meant by �saw� and I told him she was deaf. He gave me a funny look and said there was no�CID on duty who dealt with robberies.�

Jane knew there would have been at least two detectives minimum on late turn CID duties, but what annoyed her even more was the fact that the information sheet had nothing on it about Rachel being deaf or a van being robbed.

�Did you tell him Rachel could lip-read?�

�I was about to, but his desk phone rang, and he said he had to answer it. He handed me a police notepad and pen and said to write down my name and address, which I did while he was on the phone.�

�And he didn�t speak to you in more detail after he finished his phone call?�

�No, he just picked up the notepad and said he�d pass the information on to CID and they would get in touch with me, and then he just walked off, so I left.�

Jane was infuriated by the duty sergeant�s attitude. He could have got someone from the CID office in the station to speak to her, but clearly couldn�t be bothered and had just sat on it. She wondered if he�d then heard about the robbery on the security van in Leytonstone on Thursday, and decided to pass Emma�s information on to cover his back in case it was connected. He�d either lied about the date Emma attended the station when he spoke to Katie, or deliberately didn�t mention it and Katie had just assumed it was the same evening as the robbery.

�Can you tell me the name and address of the cafe and what time Rachel was in on Monday?� Jane asked, ready to write the details down.

�It�s called the Bluebird and it�s in Bruce Grove, near the Royal Mail sorting office where she works.�

�And what did the men say to each other about robbing a van?�

�Rachel could only lip-read what one of them was saying as the other man was sitting with his back to her. She has a very retentive memory, but I can�t remember everything she told me in detail now. When we discussed it that evening, she wrote everything down in a notebook she always carries with her in case she needs to have a conversation with someone who can�t sign.�

�Did Rachel write down a description of the men?�

�I don�t think so. She said she often sees them in there, but she doesn�t like to sit near them.�

�Why is that?�

�Because one of them smokes a big stinky cigar and it puts her off her food.�

Jane tried not to get too excited, knowing that what Emma was saying was merely second-hand information.

�Did Rachel think these men were planning a robbery or had already committed one?�

�From what she told me it sounded like they were planning one.�

�What exactly did Rachel say that made you think that?�

�She said the one whose lips she could see was moving things round the table and talking as if they represented people and a van. She also thought he said the word �robbed�.�

Trying to play devil�s advocate, Jane wondered if the man could have been saying the name Rob instead of �robbery,� but the details were definitely beginning to mount up, particularly as the getaway car had been stolen in Tottenham.

�Did Rachel say anything else about these two men?�

Emma thought about it. �She said they looked similar.�

Jane nodded. �Anything else?�

�She thought one of them might be connected to the snooker or bingo hall in Bruce Grove.�

�Are they next door to each other?�

�No, they�re in one building, which was originally a cinema. They converted the downstairs for bingo and the upstairs for snooker.�

�Why did she think one of the men was connected to the premises?�

�You can see the building from the cafe and Rachel said she�d seen him coming and going from there when she was in the cafe.�

�What hours does Rachel work in the sorting office?�

�Six�a.m. to two�p.m.�

Jane looked at her watch and saw it was 1:15 p.m.

�What Rachel lip-read on Monday could be connected to a robbery I�m investigating.�

Emma looked worried. �Do you think the men Rachel saw in the cafe are the robbers?�

�It�s possible, but I can�t be certain until I speak to her in detail about what she was able to lip-read at the time. My car is parked up near the sorting office. If you are agreeable, we could meet Rachel outside and go to Tottenham Police Station, where I can speak to her in private and you could do the sign language for us. Would you be happy to do that?�

Emma nodded but she looked apprehensive. �OK... if Mr.�Dobbs will let me go early.�

�I�m sure he will, and I�ll stick to the verbal abuse and kids throwing food story for now. Do you think Rachel would be willing to make an official statement and attend an identity parade if necessary?�

�I don�t know. She wasn�t sure about me going to the police. She was worried they would find out who she was and where she works due to her Post Office uniform. That�s why she wouldn�t come into the station with me. I told her they could be planning a robbery and the right thing to do was tell the police. If she hadn�t agreed I wouldn�t have gone to the station, though I think she was actually relieved when no one contacted us.�

�I can assure you I won�t pressure Rachel into making a statement or doing anything she doesn�t want to. The same goes for you, Emma. But your sister�s evidence could be really important.�

A light sprinkle of rain started to fall as Jane and Emma walked briskly along Tottenham High Road. Emma was wearing a warm black ankle-length mac and headscarf, and offered Jane her umbrella, but Jane moved closer and suggested they share it. As Emma transferred the umbrella to her left hand, Jane noticed that she had to place it into the palm, as her fingers were curled into a fist and she didn�t seem to be able to move them.

�I know you don�t want to report the abuse incidents you and Rachel have suffered to the police but you really should so there�s an official record. You also need to explain you�re worried any investigation would lead to further abuse. That way you�d also have the police on your side when you ask for a move.�

Emma stopped walking and looked at Jane.

�Could you maybe help us write a letter?�

�I�ll do what I can to help, but the local police are your best bet for direct communication with the council. My current inspector worked at Tottenham CID before being moved to the Flying Squad � he might know an experienced detective there you could talk to. I�ll have a word with him when I�m back at the office.�

�Thank you, Jane. I appreciate your help � and so will Rachel.�

�I don�t want to appear nosy, but can I ask how you ended up in a flat on the Broadwater?�

�It was the only place Haringey Council offered us. We hadn�t seen it and didn�t know what the estate was like when we accepted it.� She pointed across the road. �The sorting office is that way.�

Jane could see a railway bridge with a sign saying �Bruce Grove,� then as they walked under the bridge, the street sign for Moorfield Road on her left and the Bluebird cafe on the corner of the junction with Bruce Grove.

�That�s the cafe Rachel uses � the bingo and snooker hall are just up there on the other side of the road.�

Jane could tell from its shape and size that it had once been a large cinema.

As they turned into Moorfield Road, Jane noticed a menu stuck to the inside of the cafe window and pretended to look at it so she could see the layout of the interior. The premises were a reasonable size, with a lino floor and nine square wooden four-seater tables and chairs laid out in three rows of three. The tables were covered in red and white check plastic tablecloths, and on each one there was a red squeezy tomato-shaped sauce dispenser, pepper and salt shakers and a bowl of sugar lumps. The cooking and serving area were at the far end, and the cafe was about three quarters full of tradesmen having their lunch. Next to the menu was a notice saying: STAFF REQUIRED � MALE OR FEMALE � REASONABLE HOURLY RATES � APPLY WITHIN OR CALL NICK ON 808-9611.

As Jane got out her pocket notebook to jot down the name and phone number, two workmen got up from their table and left. The enticing smell of roast beef, potatoes and vegetables wafted out from the open door onto the street. One of the men did a thumbs-up to Emma and said, �All right, luv?� but she ignored him. Jane recalled Emma had said that she�d never been in the cafe, but it seemed as if the man had recognized her.

Jane looked at her watch. �It�s nearly two o�clock, so we�d better make our way to the sorting office if we want to catch Rachel when she leaves work.�

�It�s just around the corner. I�ll nip in and tell her who you are first, if that�s OK with you?� Emma said as they approached the building.

Jane started to make a drawing of the layout of the Bluebird cafe in her pocket notebook while she waited. A few minutes later she saw Emma come out of the sorting office with Rachel, and was instantly struck by the resemblance between them. The only difference was that Rachel�s shoulder-length hair had some grey streaks in it and she was wearing a Post Office uniform under her open black mac.

�Rachel, this is Jane Tennison.�

�I�m pleased to meet you. It hadn�t dawned on me you were twins,� Jane said.

�Born identical, but different now we�re older,� Emma remarked.

Rachel, with her right hand closed in a thumbs-up position, brushed her thumb along her chin before holding her index fingers upright in front of her body. She moved her fingers towards each other, so they touched and then pointed them at Jane, who was unsure what she was signing, apart from �hello.�

�Rachel said she�s pleased to meet you,� Emma told her.

Jane smiled as she shook hands with Rachel, then spoke slowly, accentuating her lip movements.

�I�m very... pleased... to meet... you too��

Emma interjected. �It�s OK, Jane, you can speak normally � it�s actually easier for Rachel to understand what you�re saying if you do.�

�I�m sorry, I hope you weren�t offended.�

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and did some sign language to Emma.

�She said she can�t hear you � so no offence taken.�

Jane smiled awkwardly at the joke. �Are you happy to talk to me about the men you saw in the cafe on Monday who you thought were talking about a robbery?�

She looked anxious and did some more sign language to Emma, who translated.

�I told her you were investigating a robbery. Rachel�s very nervous and doesn�t want to talk about it near the cafe or in the police station.�

Jane looked at Rachel. �That�s totally understandable. We can do it at your flat if you like?�

Rachel nodded.

�My car�s just up the road. Where do you live?�

�She lives with me on the Broadwater Farm.� Emma turned away from her sister and looked at Jane. �While I was in the sorting office she told me the same two men were in the cafe this morning.�

Jane decided to go to Tottenham Police Station and speak to the collator, a uniform PC who maintained records of local criminals and gleaned information from various sources, including uniform beat officers, the CID and the public. She knew that station collators had usually worked at least twenty years on a division, and often provided invaluable information to serious crime investigations. It was late afternoon and the collator was putting a coat on as Jane entered his office.

�Hi, I�m WDS Tennison from the Flying Squad. I�m following up on some information I was given and wondered if you could help me.�

�I�m sorry, Sarge, but I�m just about to go off duty. I�ve got a half four appointment at my doctor�s and I�m running late as it is. You�re welcome to look through the index cards, or leave the details of anyone you�re interested in and I�ll get back to you on Monday with the results.�

Jane wondered if she could persuade him to stay a while.

�I�m investigating the armed robbery in Leytonstone yesterday morning...�

He stopped and turned around.

�The one where the officers got shot and crashed the car?�

�Yes.�

�I heard about it and read the teleprinter message � bloody miracle no one was killed. I�m PC Kevin Bottomley. How can I help you?� He took his coat off.

�I�m following up on some information I was given about a couple of possible suspects, IC1 males who use the Bluebird cafe in Bruce Grove,� Jane said, referring to the police code for white people.

�I know the Bluebird � I used to pop in there regularly for a cuppa when I was the home beat officer.�

�I was told the owner is called Nick.�

�That�s right. He�s owned the cafe for donkey�s years. Runs it with his wife, but I heard she�s not been very well recently � emphysema.�

�Has he got a criminal record?�

Bottomley laughed. �No, he�s as honest as they come, though he does get a few criminals in his place now and again � but that�s not unusual for a cafe in Tottenham. When I was the home beat, he put some names my way about a gang who were nicking shedloads of fresh meat from an abattoir and trying to sell it on to him. They were nicked thanks to him. I know he�s helped a few other officers out with information as well. What are your suspects� names?�

He picked up a pen and opened his A4 notebook.

�Apart from the name Tommy, I don�t know if the others are Christian or surnames � but the descriptions I was given are quite good.� Jane got out her pocket notebook. �I must tell you, though, my informant is obviously worried about repercussions.�

�I totally understand. I don�t need to know anything about your informant, and what you tell me will remain between the two of us.�

She handed Bottomley the descriptions Rachel had written.

�M2 may be the one called Tommy.�

He read them and handed Jane back the piece of notepaper.

�There�s no one who springs to mind instantly among the armed robbers who live on the division. To be honest, there�s only about ten I know of, and at least half of them are currently in prison. What I can do for you is look through my card index trays and compile a list of criminals in the same age bracket with similar features. But it will take me a day or so and I�m off over the weekend.�

�That would be very helpful, thank you.�

�Is there anything else you know about them � what sort of work they do or cars they drive?�

�Nothing about cars, but there�s a possibility M2 may be connected to the Star Bingo Hall or Grove Snooker Hall opposite the cafe.�

�Oh yes, the snooker hall opened about six months ago.�

Jane nodded. �From what I was told, that ties in with the time the two men started using the cafe.�

�The bingo hall opens at about midday, and from the description of your M2 I�d say he�s much more likely to be connected to the snooker hall. Did you notice if the building had an alarm on it?�

�I didn�t look, to be honest.�

�Not to worry, let�s have a look in the keyholders� cards to see if it�s registered.�

He walked over to the index trays.

Jane knew that many businesses which were fitted with alarms registered with the local police. The keyholder was usually the owner, or an employee, who could be called out of hours, in case of a break-in, and reset the alarm if it went off by accident.

He pulled a card from the tray.

�The bingo hall�s main keyholder has been the manager for the last two years, the secondary is a woman. There�s two people for the Grove snooker hall. The primary holder is shown as the assistant manager, Aidan O�Reilly, of 94A Seven Sisters Road N7, which is on Wood Green Division, and probably above a shop, as that�s a main road. There�s a phone number for him as well.�

Jane stopped writing in her pocket notebook.

�Sorry � did you say O�Reilly?� She recalled Rachel mentioning the name �Riley.�

�Yes.�

He handed her the keyholder�s card. She recorded the details in her pocket notebook.

�Have you got an Aidan O�Reilly in your criminal index cards?�

He looked through the �O� section and pulled out some cards.

�There are five O�Reilly�s, none with the first name Aidan, and two of them are from the same family.� He pointed to the computer on his desk. �I could run a criminal record check on the PNC, but you�ll probably get hundreds of hits from all around the country.�

Jane knew she�d need a date or year of birth to narrow the search down on the PNC, and said she�d wait until she had more details about O�Reilly. The secondary keyholder on the card was a Maria Fernandez, with an address in Stamford Hill and a phone number, which she also recorded in her notebook.

�There�s no mention of the owner or manager on here.�

Jane handed him the keyholder�s card. He put it back in the tray.

�That�s not unusual � often they don�t want to be woken up in the early hours of the morning if the alarm goes off, so they get a member of staff registered as a keyholder. Fernandez isn�t on my index cards.�

�I suppose she might be the barmaid or some sort of hostess at the snooker hall.�

�Possibly. What were the other names?�

�Judge and Webley, that�s all I�ve got, but to be honest I can�t be certain about those names either.�

Bottomley stroked his chin. �They don�t ring any bells for me�� He looked in the index trays. �I�ve got two with the surname Judges and one Judge, but they�re either black or juveniles � and there�s no Webley on record. It could be that none of the names you�ve given me live on the Tottenham police manor so they�re not on my cards.�

�Thanks for your assistance, and I�m sorry if I�ve made you late for your doctor�s appointment.�

He put his coat on. �My pleasure, Sarge, and don�t worry about the doc�s. It might be worth phoning Companies House. If the snooker club is a limited company, the owner should be registered with them. If not, the tax office might be able to help � if they pay any!�

�That�s a good idea. Do you have their number?�

�It�s in the address book on my desk, along with the reference code, which you need to give them, then they�ll know you�re police. They close at five, so feel free to use my phone. I could put some feelers out about the snooker club for you, on the pretext we think there�s illegal gambling going on � which wouldn�t be unusual for those types of places.�

�Thanks, but I�d rather do a bit more digging first and see if Companies House or the tax office can help.�

�Feel free to call me if there�s anything else I can assist you with.�

�What�s your poison?�

�Jameson�s Irish Whiskey, but you don�t need to bother��

�I want to. Where shall I leave it?�

�The bottom drawer of that filing cabinet over there is fine,� he said with a grin as he walked out.

Jane sat opposite Kingston as he carefully read her notes of the conversation she�d had with Rachel Wilson.

�These notes are very detailed and interesting, especially what was said by M1 on the Monday and today � you�ve done really well, Jane.� He smiled.

�Thank you, sir. I also have the original notes Rachel made about what she lip-read on the Monday, and the descriptions of M1 and M2 that she wrote down for me today.� She handed them to Kingston.

�I don�t mind you calling me Stewart when we�re talking one to one like this or off duty.� He read Rachel�s descriptions.

�It was all from the horse�s mouth, so to speak.�

�How reliable do you think her lip-reading is?�

�Very reliable, she�s been doing it for years, though she did say that making out names can be difficult. But she was certain M2 was called Tommy and reasonably sure M1 said the names Webley and Judge.�

Kingston looked at the notes. �The way I�m reading it, M1 would cover the back of the van with another person who�s probably the loose cannon, M2 would cover the front with Webley, and Judge was the getaway driver in the Cortina.�

�Yes, that�s what I thought as well.�

�Which adds up to five people being involved. But all our witnesses said there were only four, and one man covered the front � not two.�

�It�s possible the other man never went on the robbery.�

�Or M1 might not have been talking about the Leytonstone bank robbery. You need to be open-minded and consider alternative possibilities.�

�I know, but this morning at the cafe, M1 said, �Yesterday was a total fuck-up� and �Riley was a hothead.� We know that an off-duty PC got shot and the man in the front passenger seat of the Cortina fired at the patrol car with a handgun � maybe that�s what M1 meant by a fuck-up.�

�Again, it might not have been a robbery he was referring to, but there�s something else M1 said that could arguably link to our investigation. He said he�d have to get a loan for Tina�s wedding as a monkey wasn�t enough. Two grand was in the Securicor cash box they got away with � which, divided by four, is a �monkey� each.�

�Rachel thinks M2 might be connected to a snooker hall opposite the cafe. I�ve got some names from Companies House, which are all connected to the hall, and one of them has a criminal record.�

Jane looked in her pocket notebook and told him about her enquiries at Tottenham Police Station and the conversations she had had with the collator there, and at Chingford Police Station, then finally her flying visit to Wood Green.

�Bloody hell, you have been ferreting away today.�

�Rachel may have been wrong about the name Riley. I think M1 might have said O�Reilly, and it�s reasonable to assume Tommy may be Thomas Ripley. Aidan O�Reilly lives at 94A Seven Sisters Road, which is where Ripley used to live. Ripley also has a conviction for GBH � admittedly it was just over twenty years ago, but it shows a propensity for violence. I�ve ordered his case file and it should be here by Monday.�

�Any CRO records for O�Reilly or Maria Fernandez?�

�There�s a load of possibles for O�Reilly and nothing on Fernandez, but she�s shown as a secondary keyholder for the snooker club. Obviously, I�ll need to do more work on all the names I�ve got so far. Finding out who M1 is is key as it may reveal further connections to Ripley and O�Reilly. The collator at Tottenham knows the cafe owner and says he�s an honest man who�s given him information before.�

�Is the collator still Kevin Bottomley?�

Jane nodded. �Yes, and the cafe owner�s called Nick.�

�Kevin was the collator when I was the DI at Tottenham � he�s reliable and trustworthy. It might be worth asking him to speak to the cafe owner, without giving too much away � or you could get Kevin to introduce you to him and do it together.�

�He did offer to speak to Nick, but I said not at the moment. Bottomley is off over the weekend, but I�ll speak to him on Monday morning.�

�Rachel mentioned M1 said something to Camel Hair Coat Man about having �a nice XJS on the front if he was interested� � sounds like the sort of thing a car dealer might say.�

�Rachel knows nothing about the makes or models of cars, but she�s got an excellent memory, almost photographic I�d say. Her description of Camel Hair Coat Man�s car is good, so I was thinking of making up an album of lots of different sports type cars and see if she can pick.�

Kingston opened his desk drawer and took out what Jane thought was a newspaper and handed it to her.

�This is the latest issue of Exchange & Mart � it�s full of new and used motors of all makes and sizes.�

Jane shook her head. �Why didn�t I think of that?�

�Because you�re a woman, and you let your boyfriends, husbands or fathers buy cars for you,� he said with a smirk.

She laughed. �I�ll have you know I bought my car all on my own, thank you.�

�Which explains the color. Can I see your notes again, please?�

She handed them to him.

�What are your feelings about the man in the camel hair coat?� he asked.

�On the face of it, the conversation M1 had with him didn�t suggest they were talking about a robbery. It could have been something to do with a business deal, and the envelope he gave to M1 could have contained a contract or something like that.�

He looked at Jane�s notes. �Agreed, but M1 wouldn�t show M2 the contents of the envelope and said something to do with �champagne and caviar for life.� If they were to commit a massive robbery it would set them up for life � and you have to wonder why M1 was so guarded about the envelope and wouldn�t open it in the cafe if it was just a business contract.�

�Do you think it might have contained plans for a robbery?�

�If the men in the cafe were involved in yesterday�s botched job, they could be planning another one to make up for it.�

�Does that mean I can make further enquiries about them?� Jane asked.

�Murphy will have to make that decision, but as far as I�m concerned the answer�s yes.�

�I�m not exactly his flavor of the month.�

�I can�t see how he can ignore your information � especially as it�s the only lead we�ve got that�s worth pursuing so far. You�ve got the weekend to do some more digging��

�Katie told me that Murphy said I was to take the weekend off.�

�On the basis of what you�ve uncovered so far I�m authorizing you to work it.�

�Can I have that in writing?�

�I�m sticking my neck out for you as it is. You need to firm up what you�ve got so far and keep digging for more if you want to convince Murphy to put a surveillance team on Ripley and O�Reilly.�

�I could go to the snooker hall and have a snoop around.�

He laughed. �No offence, Jane, but you�d stand out like a sore thumb � snooker halls are men�s dens.�

�What about using Dabs? He said he plays snooker for the Met team.�

�That�s not a bad idea � he�s a short-arse and doesn�t look like Old Bill. For now, just keep what you�ve told me between the two of us. Get someone else on the team to help you with your enquiries.�

�Teflon helped me this morning when I first went to Broadwater Farm. Can I use him and maybe Cam as well if I need him?�

�I�m fine with Teflon, but Cam�s a driver, not a detective. You can use him to make phone enquiries if you want.�

�Will you be telling Murphy they�re assisting me?�

�Stop worrying about what Murphy thinks, just do your job and let�s see what else you might uncover before we talk to Murphy on Monday. The more ammo you�ve got to fire at him, the more difficult it�ll be for him to ignore you.�

�I doubt he�ll agree with me on anything.�

�I�ll back you up.�

�Do you think he might authorize making some arrests and searching their homes � and the snooker hall?�

�I doubt he�d go as far as arrests at the moment. Sadly Barclays informed us the cash that was stolen is untraceable and there�s no solid evidence that the men in the cafe were responsible for the Leytonstone job. If they�re planning another robbery, Murphy will want to nick them on the pavement with the goods in their grubby little hands.�

�Is it worth me taking Rachel to the Criminal Records Office at the Yard to look through the mugshot albums?�

�I�d hold off on that for now. Thomas Ripley�s mugshot is twenty years old and if she failed to pick him out it wouldn�t help the investigation. She�s seen M1 and M2 regularly in the cafe, so identifying them from surveillance photos won�t be a problem.�

�The cafe owner had an advert in the window for a waitress. If he took me on, and Rachel�s in the cafe, she could give me the nod when the men we�re interested in come in. I could nip out the back, radio the surveillance unit, then we�d know exactly who to photograph and follow when they leave.�

�You ever done any undercover work?�

�I was a decoy for a serial rapist. He attacked me, but I still managed to arrest him. And I was a waitress in my school holidays, so I know how to act the part.�

He rubbed his chin. �It�s risky, and I can�t make that decision, Jane. I�d need to run it by Murphy first.�

�Thanks for your support, Stewart.�

�Keep up the good work and Murphy will have to change his mind about you.� He looked at his watch. �You fancy discussing this further over a quick drink in the pub?�

�I would, but I�ve still got to write up today�s report.�

�Do it over the weekend, you�ve had a busy day and deserve a drink.�

�All right, but just a quick one.�

�We use the Prince of Wales � it�s just down the road by the river. I�ll drive if you want.�

�I�ll take my car, then I can head off home from there as it�s en route. What about Katie?�

�What�s she done now?� He sighed.

�Nothing, I just wondered if she�d like to join us.�

�Have you told her what you told me?�

�Not everything. She only knows that Rachel Wilson is deaf and lip-read what was said � plus I gave her a couple of the names to do PNC checks on.�

Kingston ran his finger around the collar of his shirt.

�It�s not that I don�t trust Katie, but she can be a bit of a rumor-monger. I�m worried that if we discuss the case in front of her, she might say something to Murphy. It�s probably best to tell her that you�re going home... and I�ll do the same.�

�I don�t like to be underhand. We could discuss it now and then ask Katie if she�d like to join us.�

Kingston looked a little annoyed. �What else is there you need to tell me?�

�Rachel said the man Tommy wore a pendant round his neck with gold boxing gloves on it. As you were a boxer, I wondered if that type of thing was an award of some sort?�

�I doubt it. Usually you get a cup or a championship winner�s belt. I�ve seen boxing glove pendants, but it doesn�t actually mean he�s a boxer.�

�I was just thinking, maybe if I speak to Nick over the weekend, and he�s agreeable to me working as a waitress, then I could start Monday morning��

�There�s no rush, Jane. If Murphy approves it on Monday, we could start the surveillance on Tuesday.�

�Rachel said she�s only ever seen M1 and M2 in the cafe together on a Monday or Friday. Why waste three days on an observation when we could identify them in one? We could put a surveillance team on them, get some good photographs and maybe ID their associates.�

He thought about it. �Speak to Nick when the place is closed. If you think he�s as trustworthy as Kevin Bottomley says, ask him if a couple of officers can use his upstairs flat as an observation point until we can find a single OP that overlooks both the cafe and the snooker hall.�

�Is that a yes for me to start waitressing on Monday if Nick agrees?�

He shook his head. �No, I�m on duty over the weekend and Murphy�s off. You can keep me updated and I�ll decide on the next course of action. Anything else you want to talk about?�

�No, that�s all I can think of for now.�

�Then let�s go and have that drink.�

She picked up her pocket notebook and Rachel�s notes, then returned to the main office, where she saw the PNC printouts on her desk.

�Thanks for these, Katie,� she said, picking them up.

�My pleasure. How�d it go with Kingston? Was he pleased with your information?� Katie asked, avoiding eye contact.

�Some of it, but he wants me to make further enquiries over the weekend � see if I can �firm up� what I�ve got before approaching Murphy.�

�That�s sound advice. What have you got so far?�

She forced a smile as Jane unlocked the drawer in her desk and put in her pocket notebook with Rachel�s notes.

�Not as much as I thought, but hopefully I�ll uncover more. Kingston said to ask if you wanted to join us for a drink at the Prince of Wales.�

Jane locked the drawer and pocketed the key.

�I�d love to but I�m out tonight and I�ve got a couple of things to finish off here before I head home.�

�Maybe another time then � just the two of us.�

Still smiling tightly, Katie said, �I�d like that. Be good to get to know each other a bit better.�

Kingston walked out of his office and looked at Jane.

�Ready to go?�

She picked up her coat and bag. �Katie�s out tonight so she won�t be joining us.�

�That�s a shame. See you Monday then.�

He walked past Katie without looking at her.

Once Jane and Kingston had gone, Katie went to the window and watched Jane get in her car and follow Kingston down the road. She waited a few minutes, then grabbed her handbag and coat and left the office.

Jane got in her car and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She�d been enjoying Kingston�s company and thought there was a mutual respect between the two of them, but now it seemed it was all an act to get her into bed.

How could I have been so stupid?

It had probably been thoughtless to snub his advances so forcefully. Would he now back her up when they spoke to Murphy about the Wilson sisters and the possible surveillance operations? Did it mean, yet again, she�d have to fight her own corner?

�Why does this shit always happen to me?� she muttered as she started the engine.

She knew if she went straight home she was still so upset she wouldn�t be able to get to sleep for ages. She decided to go back to the office and get her pocket notebook and Rachel�s notes, so she could type up her report at home after a calming hot bath and a glass of wine.

�How many cops does it take to throw a prisoner down the stairs?� the Colonel asked, grinning at the others seated around the table.

�None, he fell,� Cam answered, and everyone laughed even though they�d heard the joke before.

Stanley put his hand in the whip glass and removed some pound notes.

�Same again, lads?�

There were nods and yeses around the table.

�Stewart, phone call for you!� the landlord shouted from behind the bar.

The Colonel tutted. �That�ll be your missus wondering what you�re up to.�

Kingston shook his head drunkenly. �She don�t know the... number for the... for the pub...�

�Must be Katie then,� the Colonel teased.

�I frigging hope not... Shee who it is while you�re ordering the drinks, Stanley. And tell �em I�m not here.�

Stanley went to the bar.

�Who�s calling Stewart?� he asked.

The landlord handed him the phone and said, �Bill Murphy.�

After a brief conversation, Stanley quickly came back to the table.

�Where�s the bloody drinks?� Kingston asked.

�It was Murphy. He wants us all back in the office right away.�

Bax frowned. �Bloody hell, we�ve had three pints each. He�ll go apeshit.�

Kingston laughed. �Three, is that all...? Then why do I feel pished?�

�Cause you�ve been knocking back the whiskys as well,� Stanley said.

�We all booked off duty before going on the piss, so we�re not here in job time,� the Colonel chipped in.

�Then let�s have one for the road,� Kingston said, downing the rest of his beer.

Stanley shook his head. �Murphy sounded in a bad mood � I think we should go now.�

�You�re right. Get a pint of water and two Underbergs for Stu, then help me put him in my car,� the Colonel said, pulling Kingston up from his chair.

Jane had a cheese sandwich and a glass of wine when she got home, then went to bed, but she found it hard to get to sleep, unable to get what Kingston had said out of her mind. Eventually she gave up, got out of bed and switched on the TV, then lay on the sofa under her duvet to watch the late film. It was New Face in Hell, starring George Peppard as a private eye who�s set up for a murder by Raymond Burr. It was odd seeing Burr playing a bad guy, as she always thought of him as Ironside, the San Francisco detective in a wheelchair. The film was gripping enough to take her mind off the evening�s events but, feeling exhausted, she switched it off before the end and went back to bed. She fell asleep almost at once.

The sound of the phone ringing jolted her awake. She fumbled for the switch on the table lamp and saw the time on her alarm clock was 1 a.m. She got up to answer the phone, assuming it must be someone from the squad, but instantly recognized her brother-in-law Tony�s voice. He sounded agitated and distressed.

�Something bad has happened, Jane � I didn�t know who else to turn to.�

He sounded as if he was trying to control his breathing. She could tell he was close to tears.

�Are Nathan and Pam OK?� she asked anxiously.

�They�re fine � it�s me that�s in trouble, Jane. I really need your help.�

�Take a deep breath, speak slowly and tell me what�s happened, Tony.�

�I�ve been arrested for something I didn�t do. I�m worried the police will frame me for it,� he said, sounding even more distraught.

�I need to know why you�ve been arrested before I can help, Tony,� she said.

There was silence on the other end of the line.

�What�s so bad you can�t tell me?� she asked calmly.

Tony took a deep breath. �This woman said I sexually assaulted her... but I swear I didn�t.� He started to cry.

Jane was stunned. �Jesus Christ, Tony � what happened?�

She heard a male voice in the background.

�Time�s up, son. You got to go back to your cell now.�

�Please, please help me, Jane,� he begged, sounding like a broken man.

�What station are you at?� she asked quickly.

�The one in Mayfair��

The phone went dead, and Jane realized the officer she could hear must have put the phone down. She sat on the edge of her bed in total disbelief, wondering what to do. She knew there were a few police stations in the West End, but the only one with a Mayfair address was West End Central in Savile Row.

She ran into the living room and got her Met Police pocket diary out of her shoulder bag, then, looking in the alphabetical list of police stations at the back of it, found the number for West End Central. She went back to her bedroom and was about to pick up the phone, but hesitated, wondering what she should say, as she knew the custody sergeant wouldn�t be obliged to tell her anything. She didn�t even know if Tony had requested to speak to a solicitor, but doubted it as he would only have been allowed one phone call.

�Christ, this is all I fucking need right now!�

She wondered if she should go to Pam�s house or call her. It seemed pointless, since she didn�t even know what the evidence against Tony was. The one thing she did know was that Tony had never been a violent man and had, in her eyes, always been a faithful and loving husband. He had his faults, but he was certainly no rapist. Her mind was made up; she decided to drive to West End Central Police Station and see if Tony was there, then find out for herself what the strength of the evidence against him was.

It was 4 a.m. Saturday by the time an exhausted Jane got home. She didn�t even bother to undress, and after setting the alarm for 7 a.m., she collapsed on her bed then fell into a deep sleep.

When the alarm went off Jane reached out with her hand, turned it off and thought she�d have another minute or two dozing before getting up. It was a bad mistake as she woke up again at 8 a.m. and realized she�d have to get a move on to be in work for 9 a.m. She had a quick shower and washed her hair and dried it. She decided to dress down and put on a T-shirt, roll neck jumper, jeans, black Puffa jacket and trainers. She was hungry, but didn�t have time for breakfast, and was about to leave when the phone rang. She was going to ignore it but then thought it might be Tony.

�What time and where do you want to meet?� Pam asked.

Jane mentally cursed herself. �I�m really sorry, Pam, I totally forgot we were going to go shopping and...�

She also realized that Pam was still unaware of Tony�s arrest.

�You�ve got to work.�

�Yes, it�s been non-stop the last couple of days and our DCI said we all have to work the weekend.�

Jane heard a sigh on the end of the line. �Thanks a lot, Jane, I�d arranged for Mum and Dad to look after Nathan and told them you�d be round for supper.�

�Can you apologize for me, please?�

�No, I can�t � you ring them. I�m tired of being the bearer of bad news where you�re concerned.�

Jane tried to stay positive. �We�re only doing eight-hour shifts so I�ll be finished by five and can come over then � I should be there about six-ish.�

�And if I tell them that and you don�t turn up, I�ll get it in the ear.�

�All right, I�ll ring them when I get to work.�

�Make sure you do.�

�Are you going shopping?�

�Yes, assuming Mum�s still willing to look after Nathan.�

�Could you do me a favor and visit a men�s outfitters and��

Pam�s tone changed from annoyed to amused. �Got a new beau, have you? Not another detective, is it?�

�No, to both questions. One of our suspects in the robbery was wearing a gray newsboy cap��

�A paper boy robbed the Securicor van?�

�No, stupid, it�s a type of cap, which we want to show our witnesses. I�d be really grateful if you could get one for me and I�ll pick it up this evening at Mum�s and pay you back.�

Jane gave her a detailed description of the hat. Pam chuckled.

�Will that mean I�m on the Flying Squad?�

�Believe me, you might not want to be... Look, I�ve got to go, I�m running late. I promise we�ll go shopping another time.�

Pam snorted. �And pigs might fly.�

As she put the phone down Jane felt as if she had betrayed Pam�s trust by not saying anything about Tony�s arrest. She knew she�d told Tony she wouldn�t, but feared if Pam found out she�d been to the station and then said nothing... Pam would never forgive her.

Dabs and Stanley entered the Bruce Grove Snooker Hall just after 11:30 a.m. It was already busy, with seven of the twelve snooker tables being used, and two of the six pool tables. At the far end there was a bar, behind which an attractive olive-skinned woman in her early thirties, with hazel eyes and long dark hair, was filling up the small refrigerators with bottles of beer and mixers.

�How can I help you, gentlemen?� she asked in a noticeable Spanish accent as they approached.

�We�re thinking of becoming members,� Stanley said.

�You don�t have to be a member to use the tables, but it works out cheaper if you play a lot. The first hour is on the house, so you can have a game, see what you think of the tables, then decide if you want to join.�

�Which table can we use?� Dabs asked.

�Help yourself to one. Would you like a drink?�

Stanley ordered a pint of lager and Dabs asked for a bitter shandy. As the barmaid was serving them a tall muscular man in his early thirties, with short dark brown hair and rugged features, came over and spoke to her. He was dressed in a black suit and white shirt and Stanley assumed he was the club bouncer.

�Maria, Tommy wants a word wit ya in his office,� he said in a distinct Irish accent.

�Will you mind the bar for me while I go see him?�

�Sure.�

�These two gentlemen are interested in becoming members and are going to have a game before deciding.�

�That�s great. I�m Aidan, the club manager. If ya want ta join let me know and I�ll get ye the forms ta fill in.�

As they set up the snooker table with the balls, Dabs whispered to Stanley, �Did you notice the cut on his forehead?�

Stanley nodded. �It looks recent.�

�We found a blood trail in Woodville Road and on the passenger sill of the Cortina. Jane and I thought it was possible the man who shot at the police car injured himself on the dashboard or window when the Cortina hit a parked car, then braked sharply.�

�The paddy is obviously Aidan O�Reilly and the barmaid Maria Fernandez,� Stanley said, and Dabs nodded.

�You�ve got to admit, this investigation is finally getting somewhere and it�s all thanks to Jane,� Dabs remarked.

�I know, but don�t keep looking over at the bar, you twat.�

�Sorry, I�m not used to all this undercover stuff.� Dabs got a coin out of his pocket. �Heads or tails for who breaks.�

He flicked the coin in the air and Stanley called tails.

When Jane and Teflon walked into the office, they instantly felt the buzz of excitement in the room. Everyone looked focused as they got on with their work, whether it was on the phone or even just typing up their reports of the morning�s events. The first thing she wanted to do was have it out with Cam, but he was making notes while on the phone. She was surprised when the Colonel, who was writing some notes, looked up and gave her an approving nod.

�All right, Sarge?�

�Yes, thanks. How�d it go with Frank Braun?�

�Good. I was wrong about him being hooky; I think he�s straight up.�

She wanted to ask him what he�d found out, but he looked busy and she knew she�d find out in the meeting anyway.

Dabs was standing next to Stanley, who was talking on the phone.

�How was the snooker?� she asked.

�We played three frames: first one Stanley bets me a pound and loses, so he says double or quits, and I won the next two frames as well. The only thing positive for Stanley was meeting Aidan O�Reilly.� Dabs grinned.

�Why was that?�

Stanley nudged Dabs. �Nip over to the fax machine, they�re just about to send over the results and want to know if they�re coming through our end. Give us a shout when it starts printing off.�

�Sorry, Jane.�

Dabs brushed past her to get to the fax machine.

She sighed; it looked like everything would have to wait until the meeting. Cam finally put the phone down and she marched over. Before she could speak, he handed her an information sheet.

�That�s the result from the Post Office on the phone number��

�And the Wilson twins?�

�That was the children�s home I was just talking to. There�s a few things about them that don�t add up and I��

�What do you mean �don�t add up�?�

�It�s just that they might not be who they say they are.�

�Are you playing games with me?� She glared at him.

�For fuck�s sake, I did what you asked and you�re still moaning.� He picked up a notepad and tore off the top sheet. �They lived in St. Cuthbert�s, a Catholic home. The address and phone number�s on there � you can ring them yourself if you don�t believe me.�

He walked off towards Murphy�s office before she could reply. She was sure he was going to complain about her to Murphy. She watched anxiously as he knocked on Murphy�s door and opened it, but didn�t go in.

�Everyone�s back in the office, Guv.�

�Thanks, Cam, we�ll be out in a second.�

�Guv wants to start the meeting,� Cam said loudly.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their chairs towards the center of the room.

Jane felt bad for misjudging him.

�I�m sorry for snapping at you earlier. What did St. Cuthbert�s say about the Wilson sisters?�

Cam shook his head. �I�ll tell you after the meeting.�

Murphy strode into the room, followed by a subdued-looking Kingston.

�Right, I�m going to ask the Colonel and Bax to start.�

He nodded to the Colonel to start, but the fax machine began whirring and humming as it printed off an incoming fax.

�Somebody turn that bloody thing off!� Murphy barked.

�It�s some urgent information I requested. It shouldn�t take long,� Stanley said.

Murphy sighed. �Carry on, Colonel.�

�We spoke to Frank Braun and it�s safe to say he�s no longer a suspect,� the Colonel said. �I examined the documents for both his vehicles, and everything was in order.� He held up the inspection paperwork. �But this little beauty is the inspection for his Cortina and I seized it as evidence.�

�You just said his vehicle documents were in order,� Cam said, looking puzzled.

�They are, but the garage stamp on the inspection was �GR Motors Ltd�, located in Lordship Lane and close to Bruce Grove.�

Bax took over. �We did a casual drive past and the premises has a front, with about twenty high-end second-hand cars on it, like Jags, Mercs and BMWs. At the back there�s a servicing, inspection and repair garage, as well as a separate office area, where, according to Braun, a young receptionist called Tina works.�

Murphy looked in his pocket notebook.

�The name Tina was lip-read by Rachel Wilson, wasn�t it?� he asked Jane.

She nodded and looked in her pocket notebook.

�M1 said to M2 in the cafe, �If yesterday hadn�t been a total fuck-up I could have paid our Tina�s wedding off in cash.��

Murphy looked pleased. �Interesting. Do we know who owns the garage?�

The Colonel shook his head. �We�re still working on it, Guv. Companies House isn�t open until Monday, but I reckon there�s a good chance GR could be the initials of the owner, so it could be Ripley.�

�What about the keyholder�s card for GR Motors?� Murphy asked.

�There�s no alarm on the premises or keyholder�s card at Tottenham. The authorizing vehicle inspector�s signature on the inspection is �G. Smith�.�

�You reckon he might have had a key cut in order to steal the car?� Dabs asked.

Bax nodded. �The traffic officer�s conclusion also supports that theory.�

Teflon looked at Jane, who nodded.

�Jane and I got some stuff that ties in with what the Colonel just said re GR. Nick, the cafe owner, said M1 is George and M2�s called Tommy and they�re brothers. He also said Tommy was the new owner of the snooker club, who we know, thanks to Jane, is Thomas Anthony Ripley.�

�That�s good information, but we need some documentary evidence to prove GR Motors is owned by or connected to George Ripley. Have you run a PNC check on him?� Murphy asked.

�Yes, sir, and I got a few hits. I was going to print them off and go through them after the meeting. We also got some information about a Graham Smith from an estate agent�s in Wanstead,� Teflon said.

�I don�t recall authorizing any enquiries at an estate agent�s...� Murphy frowned.

Jane interjected. �It was my idea to go there and make enquiries about the previous owner of forty Edgar House. I thought I�d mentioned it at the last meeting, but obviously I didn�t,� she said, knowing that she�d informed Kingston and he�d told her to visit the estate agent�s.

Murphy sighed. �OK, tell us about Graham Smith.�

�He bought flat forty for his mother Elizabeth about a year ago and paid just over ten thousand pounds cash��

�That�s a lot of dosh,� Stanley remarked.

Jane continued, �Then he inherited it when she died, and sold it through the Wanstead estate agent�s for a tidy profit. Garage twenty-nine was owned by Mrs.�Smith, who, as far as I�m aware, didn�t have a car, though she may have rented the garage out � or her son Graham could have used it and kept a key when he sold the flat.�

�That�s all very interesting, Tennison, but Smith is not exactly an uncommon name, and you don�t have any firm connections between the Colonel�s G. Smith and yours.�

�I think she does, sir...�

Everyone looked over at Cam.

�Sergeant Tennison asked me to check out a phone number with the PO � it turned out to be registered to GR Motors Ltd. in Lordship Lane.�

�Bloody hell, this gets better and better!� Baxter exclaimed.

�The estate agent had it as a contact number for Graham Smith when he was selling the Edgar House property,� Teflon added.

�Another thing you forgot to mention to me, Tennison,� Murphy growled.

�She didn�t know � I forgot to give her the result when she got back to the office,� Cam explained.

She gave him a subtle nod of thanks and made sure the bit of paper with the phone number details was still in her pocket.

�Any description of your Mr.�Smith, Tennison?� Murphy asked.

�Not yet, sir.�

�Make it a priority to get as much as you can on him.�

�Yes, Guv. Would you like me to go over what the cafe owner told us?�

�After we�ve heard what the snooker champions have to tell us,� he said drily, raising a few chuckles of laughter.

Stanley put on a stern face. �The most important thing I have to tell you, sir � and everyone else in this room � is don�t play snooker for money with this short-arsed bandit!�

�Didn�t you know Dabs played for the Met?� the Colonel laughed.

�No, I did not!� He scowled at Dabs, who grinned back.

�Apart from you getting fleeced, what happened at the snooker hall?� Murphy asked.

Stanley gave detailed descriptions of Aidan, the manager, and the Spanish barmaid, Maria. Based on the registered keyholders for the snooker hall, he concluded that they were Aidan O�Reilly and Maria Fernadez.

Dabs emphasized the recent cut to O�Reilly�s forehead and the blood trail at the Woodville Road scene and on the door sill of the Cortina, suggesting that the passenger in the getaway car had sustained a head injury.

�Any sighting of someone who might be Tommy Riley?� Jane asked.

Stanley shook his head. �No, but Aidan told Maria that Tommy wanted to speak to her in his office, so he must have been on the premises.�

Murphy looked pleased. �Good work, you two. Keep digging and see what else you can find out about them.�

�If O�Reilly is involved in the robbery, and the one who started shooting at the police car, it�s hard to believe he hasn�t any previous convictions,� the Colonel remarked.

�He could be using a false identity,� Bax suggested.

�It�s possible, but when we were in the snooker hall it struck me that the Aidan O�Reilly we ran a PNC check on might not come up if he�s only got a criminal record in Northern Ireland or the Republic � their PNC systems aren�t linked to ours. I tried the Garda in Dublin first, but it was like pulling teeth � their systems are from the Stone Age. I then tried the RUC criminal records office in Belfast. Based on the detailed description and age range I gave them, they had four hits on the surname O�Reilly. I asked them to send the results through with copies of their fingerprints � that�s why the fax machine�s been whirring away.�

�Have you got something to compare the prints to?� Murphy asked.

�O�Reilly served me a drink, so I nicked the glass. I�ve already dusted it in my office and managed to lift a couple of good prints onto acetate, which I can compare to the ones the RUC fax over.�

�Nice work, Dabs. You and Stanley get the stuff off the fax and have a look through it while we continue the meeting.�

Dabs nipped out to get the fingerprints he�d lifted, while Stanley grabbed the sheets of paper from the fax machine and started to go through them.

Murphy looked at Jane. �Let�s hear what else the cafe owner had to say.�

She went over the details about the younger man, Carl, and the man in the brown camel hair coat.

�Is Carl related to any of them?� Murphy asked.

�He could be, but Nick didn�t know for sure,� Teflon replied.

�Maybe Carl�s the man who�s marrying George�s daughter Tina,� Dabs suggested as he examined the fingerprints.

�Did you find out any more about the wedding?� the Colonel asked.

�Nick knew about it, but not when or where it�s going to be,� Teflon said.

�What about using his cafe for surveillance?� Murphy asked.

�It wasn�t suitable due to the viewing angles, but the newsagent�s on the corner of the road overlooks the cafe and snooker hall. We spoke to the owner, who�s happy for us to use the upstairs and didn�t ask any questions.�

�I asked Nick about doing some UC work as a waitress,� Jane added. �He said I could start Monday��

�That�s an option worth considering, but let�s not get ahead of ourselves��

�We got a fucking hit!� Stanley shouted, waving one of the fax sheets in the air. �Connor Aidan O�Reilly, aged thirty-six, born Belfast 1944, six feet four inches tall, with dark brown hair.�

He handed the sheet to Murphy, who squinted at the photo of O�Reilly.

�This mugshot looks old and the fax is blurry,� Murphy complained.

Stanley wasn�t fazed. �I know, but I can tell you it�s him � and Dabs reckons the prints match, too.�

Dabs held up the sheets. �I can�t make a full sixteen-point identification � the prints aren�t clear enough on the faxes.�

Stanley frowned. �Are you now saying they�re not a match?�

�From what I�ve got in front of me I can only identify twelve points that are the same, so��

�That doesn�t answer my question, Dabs.�

�Calm down and let me finish, will you? What I can say is that the source of the fingerprints on the glass is a highly probable match to the prints held on file by the RUC...�

�Christ! So they are a match!� Stanley snapped.

�In my opinion, yes,� Dabs explained patiently. �But I need a second fingerprint expert to confirm it for any arrest or court purposes. A decent copy of the prints from the RUC would help.�

Murphy held his hand up. �All right, stop bickering... For now I�m happy with your �expert opinion� that the prints are a probable match. Get the RUC to send a decent copy to the fingerprint bureau at the Yard, then another expert can examine them. What sort of criminal record has O�Reilly got?�

Stanley looked at the rap sheet. �Not a lot, and mostly when he was a teenager � just theft and a couple of burglaries. There�s one for reckless GBH when he was eighteen, though. He did three years for that.�

�Doesn�t exactly sound like the headcase we�re looking for, though,� Cam remarked.

Stanley picked up another faxed page marked �confidential.�

�It�s what he hasn�t been convicted of that�s more interesting. According to his intel file he�s a bare-knuckle fighter with a reputation as a hard man and �fundraiser� for the UDA.�

�Who the fuck are they?� Bax asked.

The Colonel shook his head in disbelief.

�Christ, you�re an ignorant fucker, Bax. The Ulster Defence Association � they�re a paramilitary loyalist group who protect Protestant districts from IRA attacks. The reality is both sides are just a bunch of murdering thugs.�

Stanley continued, �O�Reilly was suspected of running a protection racket in Belfast, where he blackmailed and extorted money for the UDA from construction firms, building sites, pubs and shops.�

�Now that does sound more like the guy we�re interested in,� Cam remarked.

�It gets better,� Stanley said. �In 1978 three businessmen decided to testify against him on the condition their identities remained hidden. Someone leaked it to O�Reilly and one of them was shot dead by a masked gunman in front of his wife and children. The others then withdrew their allegations and the case against him collapsed.�

He handed Murphy the intel fax.

�Was O�Reilly arrested for the murder?� Teflon asked.

�Yes, but he was given an alibi by two of his henchmen, which the RUC couldn�t disprove, so they had to release him.�

�Why did he come to London?� Teflon asked.

Stanley shrugged. �Don�t know. The intel report doesn�t mention it, so the RUC may not even know he�s here.�

�Could be he needed to lie low for a while,� Bax suggested.

�Or he was worried the RUC would fit him up.� The Colonel grinned.

Murphy handed the fax back to Stanley.

�O�Reilly could have come to London for any number of reasons; it�s what he�s up to right now that we need to focus on. He�s clearly a dangerous criminal who will undoubtedly be surveillance conscious.� He paused for thought, then looked at Teflon. �Print off the PNC hits on George Ripley for me, and the recorded convictions.�

�Yes, Guv,� Teflon replied, thinking he meant later.

�Now, please. I want to see if he has any joint convictions and who with.�

Teflon went over to the PNC terminal, sat down and started to type in George Ripley�s details while Murphy continued with the meeting.

�You�ve all worked hard today and proved that good teamwork produces positive results. I think we can all agree there�s evidence, albeit circumstantial, that the Ripley brothers, Aidan O�Reilly and most probably Graham Smith, are involved in the Leytonstone robbery. We need to find out who Carl is as he may be part of the gang; likewise the man in the camel hair coat, and what was in the envelope he handed to George Ripley.�

�Are we gonna nick �em, Guv?� Bax asked.

�Although Rachel Wilson appears to be a credible witness and her evidence is enough to arrest and interview them on suspicion of robbery, I believe��

Cam interrupted. �I�m not so sure about the Wilson sisters being credible, Guv.�

�Why?� Murphy asked.

Cam went to Katie�s desk to get the notes of the conversation he�d had about the twins.

�I spoke to a nun at St. Cuthbert�s children�s home, who remembered young twins coming there in 1958 after a car crash, but their names were Emira and Rasheda, the children of Mehmet and Emine Osman, Turkish Cypriots who came to the UK in the early fifties and lived in Wood Green.�

�Are you saying the Wilson twins are those two girls?� Jane asked.

�Yes. The nun told me Rasheda became deaf as a result of the crash and Emira had a deformed left hand.�

Murphy turned to Jane. �Does Emma Wilson have a deformed left hand?�

�Yes, she does, she injured it in the car crash when her parents died,� she replied.

�OK, carry on, Cam.�

�Emine Osman didn�t die in a car crash � but I�ll get to that in a minute. I managed to speak to a home beat PC at Wood Green who�s been there nearly thirty years. He told me Mehmet Osman used the name Micky Osbourne, and had a fearsome reputation in the Turkish community as a loan shark and slum landlord. He exploited and harassed his tenants with physical violence and threats to get what he wanted. Sometimes he�d kill their domestic pets and hang them from a lamp post with their entrails dangling out. No one was prepared to stand up to him, but then he went overboard with his fists and put Emine in a coma. He told the hospital she fell down the stairs, but the doctor told the police her injuries were not consistent with a fall and she wasn�t expected to live, so Osman was circulated as wanted. Two days later a patrol car stopped him on the A20 heading towards Dover. The radio operator approached on foot and was standing by the driver�s door when Osman stuck a gun in his stomach and shot him dead. A pursuit followed and Osman crashed head-on into a truck, went through the windscreen and died instantly. No one knew his daughters were in the back of the car until afterwards.�

�Bloody hell, our star witness is the daughter of a cop killer,� Bax said.

�Looks like you might have been lied to, Tennison,� Murphy said with a hint of a smile.

�But surely you can understand why they might want to hide their past...� she argued.

�Did those girls ask for any favors in return for making a statement?� Murphy asked.

She was in two minds about whether to lie, but she�d already spoken to Kingston about helping the twins get a move off the Broadwater, and he might have told Murphy.

�Emma�s manager at the Co-op told me that she and Rachel were being harassed by local youths. He�d helped her write some letters to the council to get a move, but nothing happened��

�You�re not answering my question, Tennison,� Murphy interrupted. �Did either of them ask you to help them?�

Jane knew she was in a corner.

�Emma asked if I could write a letter to the council. I advised her it was best to report the abuse incidents to Tottenham CID, as the local police would be in a better position to assist them.�

Murphy frowned. �They never reported any of these alleged abusive incidents?�

�Only because they feared further harassment if they did.�

�This raises serious questions about Rachel Wilson�s credibility as a witness. And offering to help her could be regarded as an inducement for her to lie.�

�Rachel never told me about the abuse incidents or asked me to write a letter to the council��

�She could have been encouraged by her sister to make the whole thing up after they read about the robbery in the paper,� Murphy said.

Jane tried hard to keep her emotions under control. She knew Murphy didn�t really believe what he was saying; it was just a way to belittle her in front of the team. But she was determined not to let him.

�What she lip-read in the cafe was on the Monday before the robbery. If she�s making it all up, she seems to have got a lot right.�

Teflon stepped forward and handed Murphy a PNC printout.

�I don�t think she could make this up. I just got a hit on a George Ripley, aged fifty. Previous conviction for robbing a jeweler�s when he was twenty-six and his co-defendant was Graham Smith, then aged twenty-four. Both men used hammers to threaten the staff and smash open the glass jewelry showcases � they both got ten years in Pentonville. They�ve also got form for handling stolen goods, theft and burglary. George Ripley�s been off the radar since the robbery, but Smith got nicked two years ago for assault on a customer while working at GR Motors. He claimed self-defense and was found not guilty. He fits the age, hair color and height range from Fiona Simpson for the man driving the getaway car. The mugshot taken when he was charged with the assault is remarkably like her artist�s impression.�

Jane watched Murphy�s eyes widen when he looked at the mugshot. He then handed it to Kingston who, for the first time during the meeting, had something to say.

�Simpson also said he�d got long sideburns, which he clearly has in this photo. If it wasn�t for Tennison interviewing the Wilson sisters, we�d still be chasing our tails.�

There were nods and mutters of agreement around the room, but Murphy remained stone-faced. Jane now realized Kingston�s warning about Murphy had been genuine and gave him a grateful smile. Kingston gave her a quick nod in return, then turned to Murphy.

�It might be best if Jane spoke to the Wilsons and asked about their parents before we make any judgement.�

�Fine, but with another officer present.�

�You could always consider re-interviewing Rachel Wilson with a court-approved sign language interpreter present,� Kingston suggested.

Murphy frowned. �I�ll think about it, if and when we need her as a court witness. For now just find out more about her family background.�

�Jane, did you say Rachel Wilson reckoned George Ripley said the name �Judge�?� Stanley asked.

She looked in her pocket notebook.

�Yes, he picked up the pepper pot, then slid it across the table as if it represented a vehicle and said, �Once I�ve robbed the van, Judge pulls up here, we fuck off and change motors up the road.��

Stanley grinned. �A common nickname for someone called Smith is �Smudge� or �Smudger�. Maybe she lip-read Smudge as Judge.�

Kingston had more to add.

�Another positive is the Graham Smith mugshot. We can put it into an album for Fiona Simpson to view at the Yard. If she picks him out it�s a massive leap forward, as we�ll have one of the gang positively identified.�

�I want Fiona Simpson taken up the Yard tomorrow morning,� Murphy said. �It�s Sunday, so she won�t be opening up until midday � plenty of time to get her up there and back.�

�I�ll give her a ring after the meeting and arrange to pick her up in the morning, early,� Kingston agreed.

Murphy shook his head. �I want you here in the office with me tomorrow, planning the surveillance operation starting Monday morning.�

�We�ll need to call in support from the other Flying Squad units if we�re going to carry out static and mobile surveillance on all the suspects,� Kingston suggested.

�I know. We can also ask the central surveillance unit at the Yard to help out. I want the rest of today and tomorrow spent finding out where Graham Smith and George Ripley live, and double-checking the addresses we have for O�Reilly and Tommy Ripley.�

�Are we going to arrest Smith if Simpson picks him out?� Stanley asked.

�It�s an option, but not one I�m keen on pursuing. Right now I want to know more about them, and in particular their finances. That snooker hall will have cost Tommy Ripley a good few quid. I want to know if he paid cash or got a loan. Same with George Ripley, as their businesses could be a front to launder the proceeds of their crimes. The Leytonstone robbery was a disaster for them, and they made peanuts out of it, so my guess is they�re planning something big.�

Jane looked in her pocket notebook.

�According to Rachel Wilson, George Ripley did say on Friday in the cafe, �If yesterday hadn�t been a total fuck-up I could have paid our Tina�s wedding off in cash.� But then again, she might have made it up,� she added with a straight face.

�If we nick them on the plot, we won�t need her as a witness,� Murphy retorted. �Cam, draw me up a list of all the phone numbers we�ve got so far that are connected to our suspects and I�ll ask for authority to wiretap them. Colonel and Bax, concentrate on George Ripley, Stanley and Cam on Tommy and O�Reilly, Teflon and Tennison, take Simpson up the Yard and revisit the Wilson twins. All of you see if you can find out more about Carl and the man in the camel hair coat.�

�Does that mean I�m manning the phones tomorrow?� Dabs asked.

�Yes, but I want you to do a full forensic report on everything we have so I can use it as supporting evidence when I apply for the wiretaps. Anyone else got a question? Good, now get to work. We need to nail these bastards before they have a chance to organize another job. Next time somebody might get killed.�

Jane looked at her watch as Teflon drove to the Broadwater Farm estate; it was half past four, and she figured she could still get to her parents� for supper by six. She wondered if Tony would be there and what state of mind he�d be in. She hoped he wouldn�t be, in case he inadvertently let slip he�d recently seen her.

�Thanks for agreeing to see the Wilson twins with me today,� she said.

�No problem. It will give us more time to concentrate on our other enquiries tomorrow.�

�I�ve got to go with the Colonel to meet his informant, but that�s at 7:30 in Brick Lane, so I should be back at the office before nine. Then we can collect Fiona Simpson and take her to see the albums.�

�The man she saw in the driver�s seat of the Cortina has to be Graham Smith.�

�I just hope she picks him out.�

�Even if she does, Murphy won�t arrest him yet. He wants them all bang to rights, cash and guns in hand on the plot, so he can put them away for a long time.� He paused, then gave her a side-on glance. �You�ve done well, Jane.�

�Thanks.�

She smiled over at him and for a moment their eyes met. She quickly turned away, feeling herself flushing. He was a handsome man, and she couldn�t help being attracted to him, but another relationship with a police officer � let alone one of the Flying Squad � was definitely not in her plans.

Why don�t I ever meet anyone nice outside the job? she wondered.

�For now, I�m not going to tell Rachel, or Emma, anything about the suspects we�ve identified or what we know about them,� she said, bringing her focus back to the job in hand.

�I agree with you. Looking ahead, it might be better not to put Rachel through the experience of giving evidence in court against men like them. I�ll park here in Willan Road; it�s only a short walk to Tangmere House.�

�Kingston was very quiet at the meeting,� Jane remarked as they got out of the car.

�According to the Colonel he had a massive bust-up with his wife last night.�

�I hope it wasn�t too serious,� she said, hoping he�d say more.

�Keep it to yourself, but apparently when she got home last night, Katie decided to tell her boyfriend she was having an affair with Kingston. He then phoned Kingston�s wife while we were all in the pub, so no surprise all hell broke loose when he got home.�

�Bloody hell,� Jane said, wondering what else Katie had said.

�Kingston�s a good detective and a decent bloke � but he�s only got himself to blame when it comes to his home life. His wife is a lovely, attractive woman. For the life of me I can�t understand why he goes out looking for a burger when he�s got steak at home.�

Jane didn�t much like what the analogy implied about her, so she quickly changed the subject.

�I know Murphy wanted you there when I speak to the twins about their family, but I was thinking it might be best if I spoke to Emma alone.�

�That�s fine by me. I could go through the cars section in Exchange & Mart with Rachel while you do that,� he said. �What a surprise � looks like the lift�s working.�

A young couple stepped out of it as they entered the foyer. Jane winced at the thought.

�I�d rather walk up the stairs.�

Teflon smiled, turning away from the lifts. �You might be right.�

When they got to the right floor, Jane knocked on the door of flat 68 and it was quickly opened by Emma.

�Hello, Jane, please come in.�

�Thanks. This is my colleague Lloyd Johnson.�

Emma shook hands with him.

�How�s your investigation going? Were the men in the cafe involved in the robbery?�

�The investigation is progressing well, and thanks to Rachel�s information we have some interesting leads.�

Emma looked pleased. �That�s good news. She�s in the living room doing some drawings and will be eager to know what�s happened. I�ve been sewing and stitching a little present for you.�

�You didn�t need to do that.�

�It�s not much, just a way of thanking you for offering to help us with the council.�

�Get out of that one,� Teflon whispered.

Rachel was sitting in an armchair with her back to the living room door and wasn�t aware anyone had entered the room. She was drawing in an A4 sketchbook. Emma walked in front of Rachel and signed that Jane and her colleague had come to see them. Rachel jumped up with a smile as she signed �hello,� then gestured to them to sit down on the sofa. As they sat down, she showed them her drawing of a man�s face. Jane was astonished by how lifelike it was, and her eyes were instantly drawn to the pair of boxing gloves on a chain around the man�s neck.

�Is that M2?�

Rachel nodded and turned back a page, revealing another drawing, then wrote M2 next to it with a pencil.

�They�re brilliant, Rachel, and they�ll be very useful to us,� Jane said.

�Definitely better than most police artists� impressions,� Teflon remarked.

�She has a photographic memory,� Jane said.

Rachel flicked back another page, which had a drawing of a young man with hair down to his shoulders.

�I take it that�s the good-looking man who wears the polo shirts with a crocodile on them?� Jane asked.

Rachel had a twinkle in her eyes as she smiled, and nodded her head repeatedly with a childlike innocence.

Emma looked at Teflon. �She likes him... a lot.�

Rachel frowned at her sister and handed Jane the sketchbook.

Jane opened her shoulder bag and took out the Exchange & Mart paper Kingston had given her. As Jane spoke Emma signed to her sister.

�I�d like you to go through the cars for sale section with my colleague Lloyd and see if you can identify the car the man in the camel hair coat was driving.�

Rachel nodded and signed to Emma.

�She said she can try and draw it if you want.�

�Look through the magazine first, then if you don�t see the car do the drawing. Meanwhile I�ll help Emma make a nice cup of tea for us all.�

�Can I have a coffee with milk and sugar please?� Teflon asked.

Jane followed Emma to the kitchen.

�Is something wrong, Jane?� a worried-looking Emma asked.

�What makes you think that?�

�You didn�t say anything about your investigation to Rachel and seemed eager to be alone with me.�

Jane realized Emma was more perceptive than she thought.

�Actually, there is something I need to speak to you in private about.�

�Do those men know it was Rachel who told you about them?� she asked, with a genuine look of concern.

Jane shook her head emphatically. �We haven�t spoken to them and only my team know about you and Rachel.�

�Was it them that committed the robbery and shot the police officers?�

�We don�t know for certain, and even with what Rachel told us we haven�t enough to arrest them � so there�s nothing for you to worry about.�

�That�s a relief. Can I tell Rachel?�

�Of course. What I want to speak to you about concerns yours and Rachel�s childhood.�

�There�s not much to tell, really. As you know, our parents died in a car crash and we were raised in a children�s home.�

�Was it St. Cuthbert�s in Tottenham?�

�Yes, why do you ask?�

�A colleague of mine spoke to a nun at St. Cuthbert�s. She told him about twin girls called Emira and Rasheda Osman, who were sent there in 1958 after a car crash.�

�I�ve never heard those names before.� Emma looked away nervously.

�The nun said one girl was deaf and the other had a deformed left hand as a result of the crash. To me, there can be no doubt she was talking about you and Rachel.�

Emma sighed and looked at Jane. �After the crash we were both in hospital for some time, then our uncle looked after us for a week while he finalized the arrangements for us to go to St. Cuthbert�s. The Mother Superior decided to change our names to Emma and Rachel Wilson. Rachel was withdrawn and isolated in a world of deafness, she needed me to support her, but after a year and a half I was sent to live with a family and Rachel remained at the home.�

Jane was stunned. �They split you up? Why on earth did they do that?�

�They liked to foster children out whenever they could, though some siblings were kept together.�

�After what you and Rachel had been through, I would have thought it crucial you were kept together.�

�I still remember one of the nuns at the home telling me no one wanted a deaf and dumb girl to look after. Even though I was eight by then, I knew she was expressing her own feelings as well. I missed Rachel terribly and asked my foster parents if they would take me to the care home, but they told me it wasn�t a good idea as it would make me miss her more, and the same for her.�

�You obviously kept looking for her, though.�

�Of course... I eventually found out she�d been moved from St. Cuthbert�s, but no one would tell me where. I was beginning to feel there was nothing else I could do. When I was twenty-one I worked as a seamstress at a dressmaker�s in Hackney and rented a single room in a bedsit. One day, out of the blue, a girl came up to me while I was in Woolworths shopping and started waving her hands at me. I hadn�t a clue what she was doing, until an older woman with her said she was using sign language.�

Jane smiled. �Oh my God! Was it Rachel?�

�No, the girl was with her mother and thought I looked exactly like a deaf friend of hers. It dawned on me she might have thought I was Rachel so I spoke to the mother, who told me her daughter had been a day pupil at the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb in Lower Clapton. It turned out Rachel was sent there from St. Cuthbert�s, and it was a proper school where she�d been a resident pupil for years. The mother told me Rachel was still there and teaching sign language. I couldn�t believe we were living a mile apart in the same area and never knew it. I went straight to the school to see her.�

�It must have been a wonderful feeling when you saw each other again after all those years apart.�

There was a broad smile on Emma�s face. �It was beyond belief, Jane. It�s hard to explain the mixed emotions when you find someone you thought you�d never see again. We both cried floods of tears as we hugged each other and vowed we�d never be parted again.�

�If you were both living in Hackney, how did you end up on the Broadwater?�

�When Rachel started working at the Tottenham sorting office it made sense to apply to Haringey Council for accommodation. We�d been orphans at St. Cuthbert�s and I�d spent my teenage life living with different foster parents in Haringey. I applied to the council and they immediately offered us a flat on the Broadwater Farm � we didn�t know what the estate was like.�

�The nun at St. Cuthbert�s also told us your father, Mehmet, was being chased by police when he crashed the car with you and your sister.�

Emma�s eyes narrowed at the mention of her father, but there was also a sadness in her face.

�Did the nun tell you he killed our mother and a police officer?�

Jane nodded. �I can understand why you and Rachel didn�t want to tell me the truth about everything that happened... It�s OK.�

�Rachel lost her memory as a result of the car crash. The nuns said it was best I never told her how Mama died, and they led her to believe she was killed in the car crash. My father beat her to death in front of us. I�m glad Rachel doesn�t know the truth, and as long as I live I�ll never tell her.�

Jane was shocked. �You witnessed the assault on your mother?�

Emma nodded. �We cowered in a corner, holding each other tight, as Mama screamed in pain and begged him to stop. The last thing I remember was the way she tried to reach out to us as she lay on the living room floor in a pool of blood. I put my hand out towards her, but he stepped between us and shouted to go to our room.�

�Did you see him shoot the policeman as well?�

Emma looked close to tears as she recalled the painful events of her past.

�The bastard didn�t care about anyone but himself � our lives were ruined because of him. He�d take a belt to us if we misbehaved, Mama would cry and he�d blame it on us, then when he hit Mama with a belt, we just accepted his behavior as normal��

She paused and took a deep breath before continuing. Jane could see the hatred for her father in her eyes.

�But when I saw what he did to Mama that day with his fists, I realized he was evil � just like those men in the cafe.�

�I�m so sorry, Emma... I can�t begin to imagine what effect that must have had on your lives.�

�My father was punished by God for his sins,� Emma continued. �But the reality is he got away with nearly killing me and Rachel, and murdering Mama and the policeman. I�m glad he died, but part of me will always feel he should have been tried and sent to prison.�

�I understand now why you wanted Rachel to tell me about the men in the Bluebird cafe.�

Emma looked imploringly at Jane. �Promise me you�ll never tell her the truth about our father and what he did to Mama... It would break her heart.�

�You have my word on it. We�d better finish making these drinks and take them through, or Rachel will wonder what�s going on.�

As they walked into the living room Rachel signed to Emma, asking if everything was all right.

�We were just chatting about your drawings, then I showed Jane some of my dress patterns.�

Emma handed her sister a cup of tea. Jane could tell from the look on Rachel�s face she suspected her sister wasn�t being truthful. She handed Teflon his coffee.

�Any luck with the car?�

�Looks like your Camel Hair Coat Man was probably driving a Jensen Interceptor.�

�That�s a sports car, isn�t it?�

He grinned and shook his head. �Saying that would be sacrilege to a Jensen owner. The cars are classed as GTs, which means Grand Tourer, from the Italian gran turismo � luxury high performance cars that are designed for long-distance driving, like Aston Martins, Ferraris and Maseratis. Jensen stopped producing cars in 1976, but a new one back then would have cost you around eight grand.�

Jane smiled. �I didn�t take you for a car buff.�

�I�m not, but my dad is. He gets Classic Cars magazine every month and lets me have them when he�s finished. I like to dream about cruising an alpine road in an Aston Martin.�

Rachel signed and Emma translated.

�She said, �You never know, one day you might win the pools or Premium Bonds and be able to buy one.��

�I�d get stopped by the police every five minutes if I was driving a Jensen � or any expensive car for that matter,� he said wryly.

Emma signed while Jane explained to Rachel that her information about the men in the cafe had proved useful and was still being followed up, but there was no direct evidence to suggest they had committed, or were about to commit, a robbery. Rachel smiled and signed that in some ways that was a relief. She was worried about using the cafe after telling Jane what she had lip-read.

�I want you to know, if you use the cafe on Monday morning, I might be in there working undercover as a waitress. If I am there it�s important that you don�t do anything that might give away you know me.�

Rachel looked anxious and signed quickly.

�She�s worried you told Nick about her.�

Jane shook her head. �Don�t be. He doesn�t know that you�ve spoken to me and, like I promised you, he never will.�

Rachel sighed with relief and signed, asking if Jane would like her to stop using the cafe for a bit.

�It�s entirely up to you, Rachel, but I�d be grateful if you�d continue going in and lip-reading what the men talk about.�

She looked at Emma for advice.

�I think you should if it will help their investigation, but like Jane said, it�s up to you.�

Rachel licked her lips as she thought about it, then agreed that she would go to the cafe on Monday morning.

Jane rang the doorbell of a terraced, two-bedroom Victorian property and Abby opened the door. She looked worried when she saw who it was.

�Hi, Abby.� Jane smiled. �You remember me? This is my colleague DC Johnson. Are your mum and dad in?�

�No, they�re both out,� she said with a frown.

�I wonder if we could come in and have a quick word with you about what you saw on Thursday morning in Woodville Road?�

�I�ve already told you everything.�

�Have you told your parents about it?�

�Yes, and my dad was angry with me, he said I shouldn�t have spoken to you without his permission.�

�If you�d still been sixteen that would be true � but now you�re seventeen we don�t need his permission.�

Teflon threw Jane a warning glance, but she ignored him.

�There are just a couple more questions I�d like to ask you, then we�ll be on our way.�

Abby sighed and opened the door.

They followed her into the living room, where her son Daniel was asleep in a bassinet on the sofa. Abby sat down next to him with a surly look on her face and her arms folded.

�What do you want to ask me?�

Jane decided to get straight to the point.

�I have reason to believe that the tall man you saw firing the gun at the police car wasn�t wearing a mask and I��

�He was so, it was a black balaclava with eye and mouth holes,� she insisted.

Jane spoke softly. �Every witness to the bank robbery said the tall man with the gun was wearing a brown stocking mask.�

�So? He might have changed into a balaclava after the robbery.�

�Our forensic officer found drops of blood in Woodville Road leading to and from where the Cortina was parked. He believes the man with the gun took his stocking mask off before he got out of the car.�

Abby started biting her thumbnail. �I�m not a liar, you know.�

�I can understand why you�re scared, Abby � but I can assure you those men will never know who you are. By telling us the truth you�ll be helping us to make sure they never do anything like that again and go to prison for a very long time.�

Jane looked to Teflon for support. He rolled his eyes, then crouched down so Abby had to look at him.

�If you did see his face and would be able to recognize him again, it would really help us.�

Abby started to cry. �OK, his head was bleeding, right, then just before he started firing the gun, he wiped the blood with a stocking...� Her voice trembled as she remembered the moment.

Jane sat down next to Abby, handed her a tissue and put her arm around her.

�That�s great. you�re doing really well.�

Abby looked at Jane with floods of tears running down her face.

�After he�d fired at the police car, he saw me looking at him and pointed the gun at me... I thought he was going to shoot me��

�What the fuck is going on here?� Mr.�Jones�s voice boomed as he marched into the room, quickly followed by his wife.

�It�s OK, Mr.�Jones. We�re CID,� Teflon said quickly.

�Get away from my daughter!� Mrs.�Jones shrieked, pushing Jane away.

�Is this the detective woman you spoke to the other day, Abby?� Mr.�Jones asked, and she nodded. He glared at Jane. �How dare you come to my house harassing my daughter without my permission!�

�I wasn�t harassing Abby, Mr.�Jones, I was just asking her��

�I don�t care what you were asking her,� Mrs.�Jones snapped.

Jane took a deep breath. �Abby just told us she saw the face of the man who fired at the police car and he pointed the gun at her. Understandably she�s frightened, but I think she might recognize him if she saw him again.�

She looked at Teflon, who raised his eyebrows and shook his head. It was obvious he thought she was not helping the situation.

Mr.�Jones turned to his daughter.

�Did you see the man�s face?�

She nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes.

�But you wouldn�t be able to recognize him again, would you?�

�No, Daddy.�

Mr.�Jones pointed to the door.

�Get out of my house, the pair of you!�

�I�m just doing my job, Mr.�Jones. Your daughter, or other innocent members of the public, could have been seriously hurt. All I�m asking is��

Teflon decided he�d had enough. He grabbed Jane by the arm and led her towards the front door.

�I apologize for any distress we have caused you and your family, Mr.�Jones � we won�t bother you or your daughter again,� he said as they walked out.

�You�d better not!� Jones shouted as he slammed the door shut.

�You can take your hand off me now,� Jane told him icily. She brushed her arm down. �I know Abby saw his face...� She held her finger and thumb a couple of inches apart. �We were that close to getting her on our side��

�Shut up and get in the bloody car,� Teflon told her through gritted teeth.

He said nothing as he drove off, then took the first left turn and came to an abrupt halt, making Jane lurch forward.

�For Christ�s sake!� she exclaimed.

He shook his head in disbelief. �Can you not see Jones was only trying to protect his daughter? You should have walked away as soon as Abby told you he was mad that you�d spoken to her without his permission.�

�Maybe, but��

�Then you go and tell him the suspect pointed the gun at her and she could have been killed. After hearing that I wouldn�t let my daughter go anywhere near a bloody witness stand.�

�I said hurt, not killed, and I was just being honest with him.�

�Sometimes honesty isn�t the best policy. Put yourself in his shoes... He already knew our suspects were hardened criminals who don�t give a toss about anyone or anything and are not afraid to commit murder to get away with their crimes.�

�You don�t need to lecture me,� she retorted. �I�ve dealt with witnesses to murder and many other serious crimes, so believe me I know what it�s like for them.�

�Dealing with witnesses to armed robberies is different from a murder investigation. We�ve had loads of people in witness protection, but lost in court because of physical assaults and intimidation of their families and members of the jury. Even if Abby identified O�Reilly in a line-up, a good defense barrister would have destroyed the poor girl in court � and alleged that you coerced her.�

Jane threw her hands up. �Fine. You�re right � we shouldn�t have gone to see Abby.�

�I should never have let you talk me into going there. Part of me wonders how much you just wanted to rub Murphy�s nose in it by getting Abby to admit she saw O�Reilly�s face.�

�I said I�m sorry � and I can�t change what�s just happened.�

�Next time think before you dive in head first, Jane. Why throw all your hard work away on a seventeen-year-old kid, who you already suspected had lied before you got there? If Murphy had told you to go and interview her then the blame for that fiasco would have been on his shoulders � not yours!�

He started the car and moved off.

Neither of them spoke on the journey back to Rigg Approach. Jane had time to think about what Teflon had said and she realized he was mostly right. Her biggest dilemma now was whether or not to tell Murphy what had happened.

It was 11 p.m. and Jane hadn�t been asleep long when she heard the doorbell ring. She turned on the bedside light and got up to see who it was repeatedly pressing the bell.

�Hang on, I�m coming!� she shouted as she walked up the hallway.

She opened the door, which was on a safety chain, and, peering around the gap, saw a distraught-looking Pam holding Nathan on one shoulder and a small duffle bag over the other. Jane could see Pam had been crying and realized it would seem strange if she didn�t ask why. She undid the chain and opened the door.

�What on earth are you doing here?�

Pam started to cry. �Tony�s admitted having sex with another woman and I�ve left him. I didn�t want to go to Mum and Dad�s � can I stay with you please?�

�Oh my God. Of course you can.� She took the duffle bag from Pam�s shoulder. �Put Nathan in my bed for now.�

Jane wondered what Tony had said, but knew if he�d mentioned her involvement at the police station Pam would have flown off the handle and confronted her right away.

�Do you want a cup of tea?�

�Have you anything stronger?�

�I�ve got some brandy.�

�That and a coffee would be nice.�

While Pam settled Nathan down in bed, Jane poured two large brandies and prepared two cups of coffee while the kettle boiled. She wondered if she should be up front and tell Pam about speaking to Tony after his arrest, or wait and see what Pam said, and if Tony had lied about his arrest, then tell her the truth.

Pam came into the kitchen, tore off a piece of kitchen roll, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Jane handed her a glass of brandy and she took a sip, then licked her lips.

�I�m sorry to turn up on your doorstep like this, Jane, but I didn�t know who else to turn to.� She sounded miserable.

�I�m always here for you, Pam... you know that.�

�I told Tony I wanted him out of the house, but he refused to go and kept saying we needed to talk. I told him I didn�t want to be anywhere near him and he begged me to stay, but I packed a bag, took Nathan and left in a cab.�

�Does he know you�re here?�

�No, is that a problem?�

�I�m just concerned he�ll be worried about you and Nathan.�

�Let�s take our drinks through to the living room.�

Jane sat opposite Pam, who took another large sip of brandy.

�How did you find out Tony was seeing another woman?� she asked.

�I knew something was wrong in the car on the way back from Mum and Dad�s. When I asked him how the stag night was, he seemed nervous and couldn�t look me in the eye. I knew he was hiding something and confronted him after I�d put Nathan to bed. At first, he said he�d had a lot to drink and felt embarrassed because he was sick on the dance floor and got thrown out of the club. I�ve never known Tony be sick from drink and told him to stop lying to me. I picked up the phone and said I was calling his friend Noel to ask what happened.�

�What did Noel say?�

�Tony broke down and confessed before he answered the phone.�

Jane needed to know if Tony had told the truth.

�Confessed to what?�

�That he�d met some slut called Laura on the stag do last night while they were at the Empire disco in Leicester Square. He screwed her down a dirty alleyway and even tried to blame her for leading him on.�

Jane wondered if her sister may have misinterpreted some of what Tony told her, due to the heartbreak and rage she must have felt at the time of his confession.

�He actually admitted having sex in an alleyway?�

�He said they just kissed and touched each other, but I don�t believe him. If it wasn�t more than that, then why go down the alley in the first place?�

�I�m not condoning what he�s done, Pam, but he must have felt some remorse to confess��

Pam looked upset. �Whose side are you on, Jane? Tony lied and cheated on me. He only confessed because I forced him into a corner.�

�I know, but he might have been frightened to say anything at first, for fear of losing you and Nathan. If it was just a kiss and cuddle it�s not the end of the world��

�I can�t believe I�m hearing this. Especially from a woman who�s never been married and had a string of disastrous relationships � one of them with a married police officer with children, as I recall.�

�That�s not fair and you know it. I was a naive young probationer at the time, and if I�d had any idea he was married I would never have had a relationship with him.�

�As I recall, it only ended because he got killed in an explosion during a bank raid.�

Jane was appalled by Pam�s contemptuous remark, but kept calm.

�That�s a horrible thing to say. He was a respected police officer who died doing a job he loved.�

�How do you think his wife would have felt if she had known about your affair?�

�Why are you being so vicious, Pam?�

�I�ve been hurt, and you don�t seem to care.� She sniffed.

�I do care, and the last thing I want to see is you and Tony break up. Being a single parent is not easy and it would be tough on Nathan, too.�

�You know nothing about raising a child, Jane � so don�t pretend you do.�

�Maybe not, but I�ve dealt with parents and children who have been affected by broken marriages.�

�That doesn�t make you a fucking expert! You hardly ever see Nathan because you�re always too busy with your work. In case you�d forgotten, you�re supposed to be his godmother.�

�Does it make you feel better, having a go at me?�

�Yes, especially when you speak to me like I�m the one who�s in the wrong.�

Jane was beginning to realize that Tony�s concerns about Pam�s erratic behavior were valid.

�I�ve never said you did anything wrong, Pam. I�m just worried about you, that�s all.�

�I don�t need your or anyone else�s sympathy.�

�Have you been suffering from any sort of anxiety or depression�?�

�Of course I�m fucking depressed! Wouldn�t you be?� Pam shouted.

�If you�d let me finish, I was going to say before Tony was unfaithful.�

The phone started to ring, and Jane wondered if it might be Tony trying to find out where Pam was.

�I better answer that in case it�s work.�

�Who else would it bloody well be? Where�s the brandy?� she asked, holding up her empty glass.

�In the kitchen, but do you really need another drink?�

Pam ignored her and went to the kitchen while Jane picked up the phone and took it into her bedroom on a long extension lead to take the call.

�Who�s calling?� she asked quietly so as not to disturb Nathan, who was sleeping with a pillow either side of him.

�It�s Dad. Tony�s just phoned asking if Pam was with us. Your mother said no and asked him what�s happened. He said he�d had a row with Pam and she�d walked out with Nathan and he doesn�t know where she�s gone. Your mother�s worried sick.�

�It�s OK, Dad, Pam and Nathan are here with me and they�re both fine.�

�Thank God for that. Why are you whispering?�

�Because Nathan�s asleep next to me and I don�t want to wake him. Tell Mum not to worry and Pam will call her in the morning.�

�Why can�t she speak to her now?�

�She�s sleeping and I don�t want to wake her.�

�What the hell�s going on, Jane?�

�They�ve had a big row and she just wanted someone to talk to, that�s all.�

�Has he been having an affair?�

�I don�t know what they argued about.�

�I spoke to him on the phone and asked him straight if he was. He said he�d been stupid and kissed another woman, but I could tell it was more than that. I�m not an idiot, Jane. Pam wouldn�t take Nathan if it was just a silly kiss, and I know she always confides in you.�

�If they want to tell you what it�s all about, that�s up to them � not me.�

Nathan was waking up and starting to grimace. Jane used her shoulder to hold the phone against her ear and turned Nathan slightly on his side. She supported him with one hand and gently rubbed his back with the other, which relaxed him and made him gurgle.

�I asked Tony if he�d called you and he said he didn�t want to bother you late at night, which seemed a bit strange. I would have thought you�d be the first person he would call if he was so worried about Pam and Nathan.�

�He�s probably not thinking straight. I�ll call him in a minute and tell him Pam and Nathan are with me.�

�Why didn�t you call him when she first got there?�

�Because I thought she�d told him she was going to see me.� Suddenly the penny dropped. �Are you seriously thinking I might be the �other woman�?�

He was slow to answer. �No, but I feel you�re hiding something.�

She knew he was suspicious because of the relationship she�d had with a married officer.

Jane sighed. �For Christ�s sake, this is all getting out of hand. I haven�t got the time or inclination to explain everything to you tonight, Dad � but let me assure you I�m not having an affair with Tony.�

�What are you doing with my baby?� Pam snapped as she entered the bedroom.

�I thought you said Pam was asleep,� her father said on hearing her voice.

�Give him to me.�

Pam snatched Nathan from the bed, making him wail.

�Be careful, Pam.�

�Don�t you tell me how to look after my baby!� she shouted, walking off into the living room.

�What�s going on, Jane?� her father asked, hearing Pam�s distress.

�Everything�s fine��

�No, it�s not. Your mother and I are on our way over.�

�You�ll make matters worse, so stay at home and let me deal with this. Call Tony and tell him Pam and Nathan are fine and with me,� she said bluntly, then put the phone down and went to the living room.

Pam was crying and kneeling on the floor, holding a distressed Nathan, who was still wailing. As she rocked back and forth to comfort him, Jane knelt beside Pam and put her arm around her.

�Everything will be all right, Pam. Come and sit on the sofa with me.� She helped her sister up. �Have you got any milk for Nathan?�

Pam nodded. �His plastic cup�s in the duffle bag, along with a carton of milk.�

Jane filled the cup with milk and Pam gave it to Nathan, who instantly fell silent as he sucked on the spout.

�There you go, he was just hungry.�

�I�m sorry, Jane, I didn�t mean to shout at you. I just feel so tired and irritated all the time, and this mess with Tony has just sent me over the top.�

�I think you might be suffering from the baby blues, Pam.�

�I know I am... but I don�t know what to do about it.�

�Once Nathan�s settled, we can talk about the best way forward.�

When Nathan was asleep Pam put him to bed and Jane made her another coffee. In the kitchen she saw the large brandy Pam had poured for herself and tipped it down the sink.

�How long have you been feeling like this?� Jane asked.

�A few months now, but it comes and goes. Some days are good, some are bad and others are just a blur.�

�Sadness and a feeling of hopelessness are symptoms of post-natal depression, Pam.�

�But I was fine for the first few months after Nathan�s birth, then suddenly everything went downhill.�

�Did you say anything to Tony about it?�

�No, but I took my emotions out on him. It�s probably what drove him into the arms of another woman.�

Jane sighed. �It wasn�t just your mood swings, Pam, and he knows what he did was wrong, but I truly believe it was a one-off and he wasn�t the instigator.�

Pam looked surprised. �Was that him on the phone just now?�

�No, it was Dad. Tony was worried and phoned the house to see if you and Nathan were there. I told Dad you were both fine and staying the night with me.�

�Do they know what we argued about?�

�Tony said he�d kissed another woman and you were upset, that�s all.�

�So he lied again.�

�Dad forced it out of Tony, but understandably he didn�t want to tell him everything that happened last night��

�What do you mean, �everything that happened�? When did you speak to Tony?� Pam scowled.

Jane took a deep breath. �Last night at the police station after he was arrested.�

Pam sat up. �Arrested? Why didn�t you tell me?�

�Tony asked me not to tell you because he wanted to.�

�Well, he clearly didn�t!� Pam said, becoming agitated.

�I think he was going to, but you walked out with Nathan before he could.�

�Oh, so it�s my fault again. I thought I could confide in you, Jane, but all the time you�re sneaking behind my back and lying to me.�

�You need to calm down and listen to me or you�ll wake Nathan,� Jane said sternly.

Pam folded her arms. �Go on, then.�

�Tony was arrested after what I believe to be a false allegation of indecent assault. He called me at home and I went to the station to find out what was happening.�

�He was arrested for indecent assault and you didn�t tell me?�

�I�m sorry, but it wasn�t up to me and��

�You were just worried about Tony�s arrest affecting your bloody job, weren�t you?�

Jane had had enough of being the scapegoat.

�I put my job on the line for Tony and I�d do the same for you if ever you were arrested. I was just trying to help. You can let me explain everything or go to bed � the choice is yours.�

�I�m all ears,� she replied flippantly.

Jane went over everything, from start to finish, about her involvement in Tony�s arrest and why she went to the station. She was blunt and to the point, and even told Pam about the conversation they�d had in the cell about Tony�s emotional state due to Pam�s erratic behavior.

�Tony�s been a fool, and he knows it. But put yourself in his shoes for one minute and think how you�d feel if someone made a false allegation like that against you.�

Pam started to well up. �I understand why he called you and not me... and he�s right about the way I�ve been treating him.�

�I hated myself for not telling you, Pam, but you and Tony need to sit down and talk, and seek some medical advice about your condition.�

�Do you think Tony will end up in court over the assault allegation?�

�I�m pretty certain the DS dealing with the case believes Tony and Noel�s version of events. He�s going to see the woman again and re-interview her. Hopefully when confronted with the truth she�ll withdraw her allegation. If not, he could be charged and face trial.�

Jane let Pam sleep in her bed with Nathan, while she slept on the couch. She got to bed at 2 a.m. and hardly slept before the alarm went off at 6 a.m. On waking she was on autopilot as she showered then dressed for work. Her vision was slightly blurred, and when she looked at her eyes in the bathroom mirror, they were baggy and slightly bloodshot. She used some moisturizer and did some facial stretches, but it didn�t make much difference, so she put on a bit more make-up than usual.

Before leaving she popped in to see Pam.

�You OK?�

�Yes, I�m fine.�

�I�m off to work now, so make yourself at home. There�s bacon and eggs in the fridge and cereal in the cupboard.� She leaned forward and kissed Nathan, and then Pam�s cheek. �You can invite Tony over here if you want to have a heart-to-heart.�

�Thanks, but I�ll go home. It would be better under our own roof... for Nathan as well.�

�Forgiveness is never easy, but I know you�ll work things out. Tony�s a good man and he loves you both dearly.�

�I know, and I love him.�

�Let me know how it goes.�

Jane started to leave the room.

�I love you as well, Jane. I know I can be a silly cow at times, but I really appreciate what you�ve done for Tony and the advice you�ve given us.�

�That�s what sisters do, Pam � they help each other through thick and thin.�

Jane was still preoccupied by Murphy�s dressing-down as Teflon drove back to Rigg Approach.

�That�s what he must have been raging about when he spoke to Cam this morning.�

�Murphy bent my ear before he spoke to you in the pub.�

�I hope you told him it was my fault.�

�I told him you were right about Abby Jones lying, then repeated what she told us at her house � that the gunman wasn�t wearing a mask and had a cut to his head.�

�How did he take that?�

�I think I hit a nerve. He asked me if I thought Abby would be able to identify him. I said I was almost certain she could, but her father pressured her to lie and say she couldn�t.�

�What did he say to that?�

�Just that he�d speak to the pair of us later. I think he�s just testing your mettle to see if you�re up to the job. Murphy told me Jones attended the station wanting to make an official complaint, which suggests the duty officer persuaded him not to and we�ll be given words of advice.�

�He might still make a formal complaint.�

�So what? It�s not a sacking offence. Worst we can get is a slap on the wrist and a caution for disobeying him, which means it�s the end of the matter.�

�I�m not so sure he�ll do that with me��

�Nah, I backed you up. He can�t treat us any differently.�

�Thanks for your support, it means a lot to me��

He shrugged. �That�s what we do on the squad � we watch each other�s backs.�

Now that Jane could feel a mutual respect growing between her and Teflon, she wondered if she should tell him about her conversation with Betty, and how Kingston had dismissed her as an unreliable witness. Stranger still was the fact he�d never mentioned Betty�s evidence in any of the office meetings. She looked out of the passenger window, sighed to herself and decided not to say anything to him, worrying that all it might accomplish would be to damage the bond that was forming between them if she were to question Kingston�s integrity. Which meant she either had to keep her suspicions to herself or confront Kingston about it face to face.

All the observation points were operational by 6�a.m.: OP1 was the newsagent�s in Bruce Grove, manned by Bax; OP2 was George Ripley�s house, the entrance to which was being watched by a CROPS officer from a hide in the field opposite; OP3 was Tommy Ripley�s flat, being watched by Stanley in an OBO van; OP4 was GR Motors, being manned by Teflon; and OP5 was Aidan O�Reilly�s flat, being manned by CO11. Each OP also had three CO11 surveillance officers ready to do foot follows, and two unmarked vehicles nearby with officers ready to tail the suspects� cars. Motorcycle surveillance officers were also parked up near the Ripleys� addresses.

Kingston and the Colonel were carrying revolvers and parked up at Tottenham Police Station, with firearms officers from D11 in two unmarked cars, ready to pounce on the suspects if they committed a robbery. Murphy was with Cam at Rigg Approach controlling the operation. Their call sign was �Gold.� George Ripley was Target 1, Tommy Ripley Target 2, Aidan O�Reilly Target 3 and Graham Smith Target 4. If the suspect believed to be Carl was seen he would be Target 5, and the man in the camel hair coat Target 6.

Returning to Rigg Approach, Jane�s feet were so sore from waitressing that she trudged up the stairs using the safety pole to pull herself forward.

�Christ, you look knackered,� Cam said as soon as he saw her.

�I�ll tell you what, it�s a lot easier pounding the beat than being a waitress.�

She took off her shoes, sat down and started to massage her feet.

�How�d it go at the cafe?�

�Not much to tell, really.�

�I spoke to that PC at Wood Green this morning about Asil Osman. He made some enquiries and phoned back earlier. Asil wasn�t part of Osman�s gang, and helped the CID to locate his brother after he assaulted his wife. I won�t bore you with all the details, but the fruit export company he owns appears legit. Here�s the company name and address, and the PC�s details if you want to speak to him about it.�

He handed her a bit of paper with the details.

Jane was surprised.

�So, his money isn�t hooky?�

�He�s opened a distribution warehouse over here and from the enquiries I�ve made with Customs and Excise it doesn�t appear he�s importing drugs.�

�Is Murphy in?�

Cam nodded, and she went straight to his office.

�Lost your shoes?� Murphy asked.

�Do you mind if I sit down? My feet are killing me.�

�Be my guest. What happened at the cafe?�

�I didn�t hear what the Ripleys were talking about, though we did have some casual conversation while I was serving them. George is the more dominant, likes the sound of his own voice and thinks he�s funny. Truth is he�s an ignorant pig of a man with no manners, but Tommy seemed OK.�

�When he�s not robbing banks with a sawn-off in his hand,� Murphy reminded her.

�Point taken.�

�Did Rachel Wilson turn up?�

�Yes.� She handed him the note. �She slipped me this.�

He read it and handed it back.

�Doesn�t tell us much... Banks are closed on a Saturday, so �sorting out the driver� probably refers to one of the bridal cars. The other bit about putting the frighteners on a woman is the sort of thing they do, but it could be anyone.�

She couldn�t keep the surprise out of her voice.

�You don�t think it�s Fiona Simpson?�

�Jesus Christ, you�ve really got a bee in your bonnet about her��

�Lawrence found some shoe prints on the toilet seat, which suggests someone might have been hiding in the toilets waiting for her to close the pub. I�ve got a gut feeling that it might have been one of our suspects.�

�I�ve spoken to Lawrence and I agree with you.�

�You do?� she asked, surprised.

�I�ve informed the divisional DI who�s investigating her death that as soon as we�ve completed our operation, he is free to interview the Ripleys and the other suspects about Simpson�s death.�

�Why can�t we, if we arrest them?�

�Because we deal with robberies,� he said firmly, indicating the matter was closed.

Cam knocked on the door and popped his head in.

�The surveillance team are wondering if you want to put anyone on Graham Smith and Carl when they leave work.�

�Tail them and find out where they live. If they can find an OP or use an OBO van on Smith then watch him until he beds down, but don�t worry about Carl. We haven�t got enough officers for a static observation on him.�

�OK, Guv.� Cam left.

�Carl is George Ripley�s stepson and Tina is his daughter,� Jane said. �He speaks to Carl like he�s a piece of dirt and treats him like an errand boy.�

�Well, your errand boy went to a builder�s merchant�s earlier and bought some coveralls. You know, the kind of thing a robber likes to wear.�

�I was serving them when George Ripley gave Carl some money and said to get some �stuff for Smudge�.�

�Well, he obviously knew what he meant when George said �stuff�.�

�I�m not so sure. George gave him a piece of paper with what to buy written on it.�

�The fact is he bought four, and somehow I doubt they were all for Graham Smith. Anything else of value?�

�The wedding reception is being held at Farthings in a marquee.�

He gave her a quizzical look. �How�d you find that out?�

�Carl invited me to the wedding and��

�Jesus Christ, I hope you said no,� he snapped.

�I was caught in an awkward situation. George Ripley had been ribbing him about not having anyone to take to the wedding and Carl asked me out of the blue. It was a bit odd, but I saw it as an opportunity to gather more information about the Ripleys. There�s no OP at the church or overlooking the grounds of the house, so I thought I could blend in at the wedding and take photographs of the guests with a pocket camera.�

�Well, you bloody well thought wrong. I�m not risking you giving the game away and screwing this operation up in a honey trap! The answer is no and that�s final.�

�Do you still want me to work in the cafe?�

She already suspected what his answer would be.

�No, I want you in the office where you can�t screw things up. Tell Cam you�re replacing him and he can drive Kingston and the Colonel, then book off duty and go home.�

�I need to write up my report.�

�Do it tomorrow. Now get out of my sight before I really lose my temper.�

Jane bit back an angry retort and walked out of Murphy�s office, silently fuming. She picked up her jacket and shoes, then slung her bag over her shoulder.

�Murphy said you�re back driving the car and I�m in here, from tomorrow morning.�

�Why, what did you do?� Cam asked.

�My fucking job!�

She stormed out of the office.

It was Tuesday morning and the surveillance operation was up and running again from 6 a.m., with all officers in their allocated positions. All the suspects left their premises and went straight to work, arriving at about the same time as they had the previous day.

Jane got a call from Cam at 6 a.m., telling her that Kingston had persuaded Murphy to put her back in the cafe. Cam also said he�d tried to contact her the previous evening but she must have been out.

Driving to the cafe, she couldn�t stop thinking about her date with Carl and what a fool she�d been to go over Murphy�s head. She�d discovered nothing that might implicate the Ripleys in the Leytonstone or any future robbery, and clocking the mileage on motor cars was hardly a serious offence. There was no way she was going to tell Murphy what she�d done, and she hoped to God he never found out as he would undoubtedly throw her off the Flying Squad.

She got to the cafe just after 7 a.m., and by 8 a.m. it was very busy. Rachel came in just after 9 a.m. and Jane slipped her a thank you note for her information while serving her. Neither of the Ripley brothers came to the cafe, but Carl unexpectedly walked in at midday.

�Hi, I was just passing by and thought I�d drop this off for you. It�s an official invite to the wedding. I didn�t know your surname, so I just put Jane.�

�Thank you. It�s a beautifully designed card.�

�Like I said � only the best will do for Tina.�

�Would you like something to eat and a drink?�

�No, I can�t stop. I�ve got to pick up some engine parts and get them back to the garage. Thanks again for last night, I really enjoyed your company.�

He leaned forward to kiss Jane�s cheek and she pulled her head away.

�Sorry,� he said.

�It�s OK. It�s just that people are watching us and I�m quite shy about things like that.�

�I understand, I won�t do it in public again,� he said, then walked out.

Jane sighed. Reaching across a table to pick up a dirty plate, she knocked a half-full coffee cup, spilling some onto a customer�s lap.

�Watch what you�re doing, you silly cow!�

The young man grabbed a napkin and started wiping himself down.

�I�m really sorry. It was an accident. I�ll get a clean cloth for you.�

�These are my best jeans and you�ve fucking ruined them!�

Nick strode over, a look of anger in his eyes, and picked up the young man�s plate of half-eaten food. Jane thought he was going to tell her off.

�Getta out of my cafe!�

�What for?� he asked.

�No one a speak to my staff like that! Now vaffanculo.�

Jane assumed that was �fuck off� in Italian. As the man walked to the door, Nick told him never to come back.

�Thanks,� Jane said.

�Is OK, accidents they happen, and I no like ignorant bastardi in my place.�

The Royal Epping Forest Golf Club was in Forest Approach, Chingford. It was 6:30�a.m., and the Colonel and Stanley sat in the back of the OBO van, which had JB Plumbers written on the side, spy holes and a one-way rear-view window. They were parked at the rear of Chingford Masonic Hall, opposite the club entrance, and had a good view, with binoculars, of the first tee and the eighteenth green by the club house.

�I�ll bet the Ripleys are Freemasons,� the Colonel remarked.

Stanley agreed. �And so are a few senior detectives. But thankfully none of them are on our squad. The rubber heelers and Countryman think any officer who�s a Freemason must be corrupt.�

�Anybody that says I�m corrupt can kiss my Porsche!� the Colonel joked.

Stanley had to put his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter from being heard outside the van. He nudged the Colonel.

�Look up, here comes George in the Merc... He�s got someone with him.� Stanley took a photograph.

�It looked like Tommy,� the Colonel said, looking out of the rear window.

Five minutes later Stanley saw a dark blue Mark 3 Capri Ghia approaching the golf club.

�I don�t bloody believe this � the Ripleys are playing golf with Smith and O�Reilly.�

The Colonel looked out of the window. �Jesus, I thought you were taking the piss. I�ll call it in.�

�They might just be having a meeting in the car park. Let�s wait until we see who George actually tees off with.�

Just before 7 a.m. the four men approached the first tee, two men carrying a set of golf clubs each, the others pulling theirs along on trollies.

�Do you reckon they�re just socializing or discussing a robbery again?� the Colonel asked.

�How the hell should I know? I�m not Rachel Wilson, I can�t bloody lip-read.�

They watched as George teed off and hit a decent drive down the middle of the fairway, as did his brother Tommy. Aidan O�Reilly was next to tee off.

�Gold from KG, receiving... over?�

�Yes, go ahead, over,� Bax replied.

The Colonel told him who was playing golf and asked how long a round took, as he�d never played the game.

�Depends if it�s nine or eighteen holes they�re playing, how good they are and if there�s any hold-ups by the golfers in front of them.�

�There�s no one in front of them.�

The Colonel watched O�Reilly hit the ball hard but slice it into the rough on the left.

�You�re looking at about four hours then.�

Graham Smith made two air shots, missing the ball completely, and on his third attempt the ball scooted about fifty meters along the ground.

Stanley sighed. �This could take all fucking day the way Smith plays.�

�I�ll nip out when the coast is clear and get some coffee and sandwiches.�

�Get some newspapers and magazines as well.�

�Hustler or Penthouse?� the Colonel quipped as he got out of the van.

It was nearly 1:30 p.m. Jane stood in front of her bedroom mirror, put her wide-brimmed hat on and did a left and right half-twirl.

�You look good,� she said to herself with a smile. She went to the living room, looked out of the window to the street below and saw Teflon pull up in the black cab. She picked up her coat, then checked her Kodak Instamatic camera was in her clutch bag, along with spare film before leaving the flat.

Teflon waved when he saw her walking towards the cab.

�You look absolutely stunning,� he said, his eyes wide.

�No need to look so surprised,� she laughed, getting in the back. �I last wore this outfit when I was godmother at my nephew�s christening.�

�Where to, lady?� Teflon asked in a cockney accent, as if he was a real cabbie.

�All Saints Church, Chigwell, please.� She smiled.

�Right you are,� he said and moved off.

Jane tossed and turned in her sleep, dreaming that she was walking through London Fields late at night, when suddenly a man in a stocking mask jumped down from a tree with a knife in his hand, and held it to her throat.

�Don�t scream or I�ll cut your throat,� he said, unzipping his trousers.

Terrified she was about to be raped, Jane kicked as hard as she could towards his groin, and the sudden jerking of her foot woke her up. Her heart was beating fast as she switched the light on, then went to the living room, picked up the phone and called Paul Lawrence.

�I�m sorry to bother you, Paul...�

�For Christ�s sake, it�s four o�clock.�

�I know, but this is really important.�

He let out a deep sigh. �Go on then.�

�You remember years ago when I was a decoy and arrested that rapist Peter Allard?�

�Yeah, he got off the rape but pleaded guilty to assaulting you.�

�That�s right, then we nicked him for the murder of Susie Luna.�

�I�m not really in the mood for war stories��

�Was his barrister a guy called Tony Nichols?�

�Let me think... Yeah, he was Queen�s Counsel, but got disbarred about three years ago for false legal aid claims.�

�Do you know what he�s doing now?�

�I haven�t a clue.�

�Thanks. Sorry to bother you.�

�Wait a minute... What frying pan have you got yourself into now?�

�It�s a long story, but Nichols is tied up with the Ripleys and our other suspects.�

�Did you get the message I left for you yesterday afternoon?�

�No, I was at a wedding.�

�The RUC got a match on the Chubb key to a Patrick O�Dwyer. He�s got a criminal record for violence and was in the same UDA unit as Aidan O�Reilly. Looks like you were right about Fiona Simpson�s death being linked to your investigation.�

�I�ll let Murphy know. Thanks again, Paul.�

She put the phone down.

Jane thought about why she had failed to recognize Tony Nichols. She had only seen him once before the wedding, when he had cross-examined her for half an hour at the Old Bailey. Although it was six years ago, she now remembered he was chubby-faced, had greying dark hair with a side parting, and wore thick-rimmed gold glasses. Since then he had undoubtedly lost weight, dyed his hair black and, she assumed, replaced his glasses with contact lenses. It didn�t seem to her to be a deliberate effort to disguise himself, more the act of a vain man who wanted to look younger.

By midday the Rigg Approach office was filled with another fifteen detectives from the Tower Bridge Flying Squad, who had been called in to assist the arrest operation. Most of them were carrying revolvers in side holsters and everyone in the room was tense, waiting for Murphy to address them.

Jane had already spoken to Murphy about the Ripleys, and explained why she thought they were responsible for the Security Express robbery. He agreed there were parts of her analysis that pointed to them being responsible, but he felt her theory was based on conjecture and worried that she was making the suspects fit the crime. He told her that, although he had decided to arrest the Ripleys, Smith and O�Reilly, the only way they could prove the Ripleys themselves were responsible for both robberies was to find some actual physical evidence, at their homes or work premises, connecting them to the robberies.

Jane realized she was the only female in the room and overheard one of the Tower Bridge officers say he hoped he wasn�t with the �plonk� when they made the arrests. It made her hope she would be the one to arrest George Ripley or Tony Nichols.

Murphy came out of his office with the Tower Bridge DCI and DI Kingston. The room went quiet.

�Firstly, I�d like to thank the Tower Bridge officers for coming out to assist us with the arrests.�

�Don�t worry, Guv, we�ll happily show your lads how it�s done,� a Tower Bridge officer called out and his colleagues laughed.

�Yeah � and pigs might fly,� the Colonel retorted.

Murphy waited for the laughter to subside.

�I know, as dedicated Flying Squad officers, you would have wanted this to be an operation where we carried out an armed ambush on the suspects while they were committing the crime. However, circumstances beyond our control have dictated that we arrest them today in a coordinated hit that will take place at two�p.m. precisely. I have split you into teams and armed officers from my squad will lead each team and make the arrests, supported by officers from Tower Bridge. Me and DI Kingston will arrest George Ripley at his home address, DS Stanley, Graham Smith at his home address and DC Baxter, Tony Nichols at his home address.�

�Yes, Guv,� they replied almost in unison.

�Our SOCO is presently working undercover in the Bruce Grove Snooker Hall and called me just before the briefing. Tommy Ripley, Aidan O�Reilly and Maria Fernadez are all there, apparently looking like they�ve got almighty hangovers from the wedding. The Colonel and Cam, with extra backup, will arrest them.�

�What if any of them leave before we get there?� the Colonel asked.

�Dabs is going to come out of the hall at five minutes to two and meet you outside the sorting office in Moorfield Road with an update. I want two teams from Tower Bridge to hit their home addresses at the same time. I�ve arranged for uniform officers to go to the garage at two�p.m. and secure it, then we can search it later.�

Jane and Teflon looked at each other, wondering what they would be doing.

�WDS Tennison and DC Johnson will arrest Carl Winter. He, like Maria Fernandez, may or may not be involved in the planning or commission of the robberies, but they could be a useful source of information � especially Winter.�

Teflon could see that Jane was about to say something.

He gave her a discreet dig with his elbow and whispered, �Don�t say a word or he�ll crucify you in front of everyone.�

�I want all the suspects taken to Leytonstone Police Station for interrogation, and continual updates given to me over the radio throughout the operation. Any questions?�

There were none.

Murphy went to his office with the Tower Bridge DCI and Kingston to have a quick glass of whisky before the armed operation.

Teflon took Jane to Dabs�s office to speak to her.

�Not letting us be involved in any of the main suspects� arrests is Murphy�s way of punishing us for what happened with Abby Jones.�

�Carl is not in any way, shape or form a criminal,� Jane said angrily. �I should be the last person to have to arrest him and Murphy knows that.�

�Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Murphy�s arresting Carl for the right reasons, not to spite you. Even if it was someone else on the team making the arrest, it�s inevitable during questioning Carl will find out you�re a police officer. If you feel so bad, then this is your opportunity to make him realize you meant him no harm and were just doing your job.�

Teflon used the radio to request CID from Stoke Newington and a lab liaison sergeant attend Carl�s flat as it was now a murder scene. He then called Murphy and told him what had happened. When he heard Jane was suffering from shock he told Teflon to take her home � or even better, to her parents� or sister�s so they could look after her.

�O�Reilly�s dead as well,� he added.

A uniformed van took Nichols to Leytonstone Police Station, and when the local DI arrived Teflon filled him in.

�Is she all right?� the DI asked, looking at Jane.

She was sitting in the car with Carl�s blood on her hands and clothes, looking numb and staring into space.

�Nichols was going to kill her. It scared the shit out of her, but she�s a tough cookie. She�ll come through it.�

Teflon didn�t want anyone to know the real reason behind her troubled state of mind.

�Lucky you were there, then,� the DI remarked.

�Yeah, I guess so.�

Teflon got in the car and said her name, but she didn�t respond. He gently shook her arm.

�Jane?�

She slowly turned her head and looked at him.

�He said it was in the pit.�

�You have to stop thinking about Carl, Jane. You�re in shock and need someone to look after you. Murphy wants me to take you to your family. Where do your parents live?�

�I don�t want to go there,� she said, sounding more coherent.

�Murphy said��

�I don�t care what Murphy said. Carl�s last words were: �It�s in the pit.� If he knew where George and Smudge hid it, then it makes sense it was at their house or the garage.�

�It could be anywhere, Jane. Murphy is having every suspect�s house and work premises ripped apart by search teams. If the money�s there they�ll find it.�

�What do you think he meant by �the pit�?�

Teflon shrugged. �If he�s a mechanic then it could be the vehicle examination pit in the garage.�

Jane nodded as it suddenly all fell into place.

�Nichols came here for the garage keys because he knew Carl had a set. He was going to take the money for himself... We need to go to George�s garage right away.�

�Murphy�s in charge of the searches and has the garage under control.�

�Carl wanted me to find the money.�

�I�ll go and get the keys from Carl�s flat.�

He shook his head in disbelief at what he was doing.