Mallory laughed out loud. ‘Good God, no. If he’s lucky, they’ll release him in ten months on probation as they would have done anyway if he hadn’t run for it.’

‘Fair enough, sir.’

‘No, it isn’t, Miller. He’ll be back. You’ll see.’

‘I’m putting my money on Jenny Crowther.’ Miller got to his feet. ‘I’d better go now, sir. You look as if you could do with some sleep.’

‘And you look as if you might fall down at any moment.’ Miller turned, a hand on the door and Mallory called, ‘Miller?’

‘Yes, sir?’

‘Regarding that little wager of ours. I was right about Phillips – he killed Grace Packard just as I said, but taking everything else into consideration I’ve decided to give you your pound back, and no arguments.’

He switched off the light with his good hand and Miller went out, closing the door softly behind him.

He took the lift down to the entrance hall and found Jack Brady standing outside the night sister’s small glass office talking to her. They turned as Miller came forward and the sister frowned.

‘You look awful. You should be in your bed, really you should.’

‘Is that an invitation, Sister?’ Miller demanded and kissed her on the cheek.

Brady tapped out his pipe and slipped a hand under Miller’s arm. ‘Come on, Nick, let’s go.’

‘Go where?’

‘The nearest pub. I’d like to see What a large whisky does for you, then I’ll take you home.’

‘You’re an Irish gentleman, Jack. God bless you for the kind thought.’

They went out through the glass doors. The rain had stopped and Miller took a deep breath of fresh, damp air. ‘Hell is always today, Jack, never tomorrow. Have you ever noticed that?’

‘It’s all that keeps a good copper going,’ Brady said and they went down the steps together.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jack Higgins lived in Belfast till the age of twelve. Leaving school at fifteen, he spent three years with the Royal Horse Guards, serving on the East German border during the Cold War. His subsequent employment included occupations as diverse as circus roustabout, truck driver, clerk and, after taking an honours degree specializing in Psychology and Criminology, was a teacher and university lecturer.

His thirty-sixth novel, The Eagle Has Landed (1975), turned him into an international bestselling author, and his novels have since sold over 250 million copies and have been translated into sixty languages. In addition to The Eagle Has Landed, ten of them have been made into successful films. His more recent bestselling novels include A Devil is Waiting, The Death Trade, Rain on the Dead and The Midnight Bell, all of which were Sunday Times bestsellers.