The last of the three to enter the shop turned the sign in the shop window from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’. Then he bolted the door and drew down the blinds. Sandra stared in terror as the other two men approached her.

‘Get in the back!’ one of the men ordered, grabbing her arm roughly and marching her through the shop.

Sandra tried to resist but she knew it was pointless. They were all bigger and stronger than she was. She let out a terrified screech but the man clamped his hand across her mouth.

Once they were in the back room he pushed her forcefully and she landed on the floor with a thump. Sandra was about to protest until the man spoke.

‘You’ll keep your fuckin’ mouth shut if you know what’s good for you!’ he said.

She drew back from the men into a corner of the room and sat rubbing her knee where it had hit the floor. ‘We haven’t come for the takings,’ said the first man. He nodded at the other two who stepped towards Sandra.

‘No, please!’ she screamed as one of the men lunged forward and aimed a fierce kick at her abdomen.

Sandra curled into a ball, covering her face with her arms, while the men laid into her. She sobbed and squealed as she felt every fierce blow from them. When they stopped Sandra remained in a ball, dreading that there might be worse to come. Then she felt her hair being yanked from behind while the first man pulled her head back till she was facing him.

‘Please, no!’ she begged, looking up at his savage features.

‘I’m not here for you, you stupid bitch!’ he spat. ‘This is a message for your boss. Let him know that Alan has just fuckin’ evened the score. You got that?’ he yelled, smacking her across the face.

‘Yes,’ Sandra sobbed.

Then the man turned to the other two. ‘OK, carry on,’ he said.

Sandra didn’t have a chance to cover her face this time. The two men dashed forward in a brutal attack, which left her lying bruised and battered in the secluded back room of the shop.

*

Peter dashed round to Super Sol Tanning Salon as soon as he received the distressed call from Sandra, stopping only to collect Glynn on the way. When he arrived, he saw that the door to the street was slightly ajar and he and Glynn ran in.

Peter could see that the reception area was empty. He and Glynn hurried through the shop, searching each of the tanning booths and calling out Sandra’s name.

‘In here,’ came a small timid voice from the back room.