Cover

Dedication

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Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

Wearing a worn tracksuit over her tights and leotard, Jane Tennison was hurrying out of Holmes Place Health Club on Fulham Road after a strenuous aerobics class, worried that the time on her parking meter would have expired.

She ran the last few yards to her car as she spotted a traffic warden checking the meter.

‘I’m here!’ she yelled.

The warden gave her a cursory glance before moving off to check the next meter. Jane was throwing her kit bag and towel into the car when she heard someone call out her name. She turned, not recognizing the voice for a moment.

‘Hi, it’s Dave Morgan.’

She was still flustered, but then remembered exactly who he was.

‘Dabs!’ she cried out fondly.

Dabs was the diminutive SOCO she had worked with on the first day she had been with the Flying Squad. He gave her a hug and she quickly pulled away.

‘Oh God, Dabs, I must stink! I’ve just been doing a workout at my club and didn’t have time for a shower as my meter was about to expire.’

Dabs nodded in the direction of Holmes Place. ‘That’s a posh place, isn’t it? What are you doing there? Self-defense?’

Jane laughed. ‘No, I had enough of that when I was training. I’m doing aerobics.’

‘Oh, the Green Goddess? I’ve seen her on breakfast TV. Fine for most people, but working alongside those macho blokes in the Sweeney, I’d probably take up boxing.’

Jane gave a pensive smile, not wanting to discuss her time with the ‘blokes’ Dabs had so aptly described.

‘So, what have you been up to?’ she asked, changing the subject.

He leaned forward. ‘Been on a big case . . . Still on it. Checking out a bad situation, a triple murder with a lot of weapons. Seeing the damage some crazy idiot could do with a rifle, I decided I needed some hands-on experience, so I’m doing this course at a gun club. I’ll give you my phone number if you’re interested . . . I might be able to fast-track you at the club.’

Jane sat sideways on the driving seat of her car as Dabs jotted down his home number and passed it to her. She thanked him, swung her legs in and shut the car door. As she took out her car keys she felt the emotion welling up inside her. She was sure Dabs knew about her situation at the Sweeney, and that was why he had given her the card. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if this opportunity was just what she needed.