Nick moved past him into the bedroom, opened the sliding door of the wardrobe which occupied one side of the room and took down a dark blue worsted suit and freshly laundered white linen shirt. He laid them across the bed and started to dress.

‘I happen to like what I’m doing, Phil, and all the Bradys in the Force won’t make me change my mind. I’m in and I’m in to stay. The sooner they accept that, the better it will be for all of us.’

Phil shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed, watching him. ‘I wonder what the old lady would say if she was still alive. All her plans, all her hopes and you end up a copper.’

Nick grinned at him in the mirror as he quickly knotted a dark blue knitted tie in heavy silk. ‘She’d enjoy the joke, Phil. Probably is doing right now.’

‘I thought you were supposed to be on leave till Monday?’

Nick shrugged. ‘Something must have come up. I was talking to Charlie Parker from “E” Division this afternoon. He was telling me recruiting’s hit an all-time low. We’re better than two hundred men under establishment. On top of that, God knows how many are on their backs with this Asian flu that’s going around.’

‘So they need Nick Miller. But why now? What kind of a time is this for a man to be going to work?’

Nick took a dark blue Swedish raincoat from the wardrobe. ‘We do it all the time, Phil. You should know that by now. Ten p.m. till six in the morning. The Graveyard Shift.’ He grinned as he belted the coat around his waist. ‘What would you do if someone turned over one of the shops right now?’

His brother raised a hand defensively and got to his feet. ‘All right, you’ve made your point. So the great Nick Miller goes out into the night to defend society. Watch yourself, that’s all I ask. Anything can happen these days.’

‘And usually does.’ Nick grinned. ‘Don’t worry, Phil, I can look after myself.’

‘See you do. I don’t want any phone calls around four in the morning asking me to come down to the Infirmary. Ruth and the kids would take it pretty hard. For some strange reason they seem to think a lot of you.’

‘All we need now are violins.’ Nick adjusted the peak of the dark blue semi-military rain cap over one eye and turned. ‘Will I do?’

‘You’ll do all right,’ Phil said. ‘I’m not sure what for, but you’ll do.’

Nick grinned and punched him in the shoulder. ‘With any kind of luck I might manage breakfast with you.’

He moved to the door and as he opened it, Phil called sharply, ‘Nick!’

‘What is it?’