‘As a senior member of your team, Lockland, I cannot let this pass. This was wrong on so many levels. Firstly, you lifted your knee far too high. You were lucky you didn’t lose your balance. Secondly, if you miss your target and your knee hits bone instead . . .’

Everyone flinched, apart from Parrish who had passed the flinching stage several minutes ago and was approaching blind agony.

North was assuming lecture mode, demonstrating on an officer who hadn’t had the sense to get out of the way in time.

‘Remember for the future – use your upper thigh.’ She pointed to her upper thigh. ‘Which gives you a wider area of impact.’ She demonstrated the much wider area of impact on the cringing officer. ‘And there’s more cushioning – for you, that is. And much less chance of losing your balance and falling over. Let’s try it again, shall we?’ She turned to the crowd. ‘Do we have another volunteer?’

The front row scattered. The back row, suddenly finding itself the front row, followed suit.

Lockland sighed enviously and wiped the sweat off her face with her forearm. ‘I so wish I could do that.’

North shook her head. ‘Don’t waste your time. You’re not me.’

‘I’m not anyone.’

North didn’t do sympathy. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. I play to my strengths. You should play to yours.’

Lockland sighed again. ‘I could probably play to my weaknesses.’

‘Exactly.’

About to feel sorry for herself, Jane paused. ‘Oh.’ She thought about it for a moment. This was a new idea to explore. She was the permanent underdog. No one ever had any expectations of her. She would always have the element of surprise. Which could be useful. She nodded at North.

‘That’s two lessons learned today, Lockland. Make use of them both.’ She leaned over the still suffering lump on the carpet. ‘Carry on, Trainee Parrish.’

She left.

‘Eight years,’ said a carpet-muffled voice.

‘What?’

‘Eight years. They say she’ll be running this place in ten years and I reckon she’ll be doing it in eight. Can you help me up, please?’

He rose painfully to his feet and looked at her.

‘I suppose I should thank you.’

She automatically opened her mouth to tell him there was no need and then had second thoughts. ‘Are you complaining?’

‘Well, a little bit of me is.’

‘Listen, if you’d got into it with that lot then you’d have suffered a lot more than just my knee.’

‘There is no “just” about your knee, Lockland. Your knee is a force of nature all on its own. You haven’t got any ice, have you?’

‘Ice is only for grateful boys.’

‘So, just to get things straight – figuratively speaking – you thought you’d save me by ruining my chances of fatherhood.’

‘It could have been your face.’

‘Oh. Yeah. So it could. Well done, Lockland. Good thinking.’