Simon pulled a small table closer and set down the Coke. ‘How is it?’

‘Very painful. I can’t believe I was just walking down the bloody stairs . . .’

‘I know what you mean. Injury like that, the least you want is something to boast about – shinning over a fence with barbed wire on top after an armed robber, that type of thing.’

‘Piss off.’

Simon sat back with his Scotch, trying not to look as if he were relishing it.

‘Can I run something past you?’

‘You can try but my head’s a bit fuzzy.’

‘What’s the doctor put you on?’

‘Not sure. Probably those powerful prescription-only jobs.’

‘Yeah, they make you see double and then wallpaper starts to bleed.’

Kieron shot him a look.

‘County lines,’ Simon said.

‘Christ.’

‘OK, if you only want a run-through of last month’s speeding figures . . .’

‘I could have you demoted.’

‘For?’

‘Pissing off the Chief Constable. But yes, county lines. It’s been on my mind as well . . . we need a day conf.’

‘Soon.’

‘If I hadn’t done this knee . . .’

‘Your knee won’t stop you being in the ground-floor meeting room. How soon can we get bods over from Bevham? It’s bad there as well. Could we arrange it for Wednesday? Thursday latest?’

‘Funny – you used to be the one who said –’

‘Said we wasted far too much time fretting about drugs, drugs ops, uniform manning the underpasses, going into the school talking to the kids . . . So we did, but that was then, this is now, and it’s going to get out of hand fast. Ours are pretty likely to be coming from the Smoke.’

‘Or Brum?’

‘Possibly. Doesn’t really matter where they come from, they’re hitting us, they’re targeting our kids, and it’s making me angrier than I’ve ever been – well, probably. I don’t care what the idiots who take drugs do to themselves, frankly – I’d rather they didn’t ruin their lives, but if they’re adults, they have a choice, and you and I both know that the choice comes at the start. Don’t do it. But if you’re idiot enough, be prepared for the consequences. But getting young kids involved, bribing them to do the dirty work? It’s the pits, and I’m furious with myself for not seeing the way it was going. This has blown up over the last, what, year, eighteen months max. And it’s only going to get worse.’

‘Thank you for that information.’

‘We have to throw everything at it now – a blitz.’

‘What have you got in your sights, Simon?’

‘I’ve got Starly in them.’

‘The junkie in the flat?’