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Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Title Page
  5. Intoroduction
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EITHT
  14. NINE
  15. TEN
  16. ELEVEN
  17. TWELVE
  18. THIRTEEN
  19. FOURTEEN
  20. FIFTEEN
  21. SIXTEEN
  22. SEVENTEEN
  23. EIGHTEEN
  24. NINETEEN
  25. TWENTY
  26. TWENTY-ONE
  27. TWENTY-TWO
  28. TWENTY-THREE
  29. TWENTY-FOUR
  30. TWENTY-FIVE
  31. TWENTY-SIX
  32. TWENTY-SEVEN
  33. TWENTY-EIGHT
  34. TWENTY-NINE
  35. THIRTY
  36. THIRTY-ONE
  37. THIRTY-TWO
  38. THIRTY-THREE
  39. THIRTY-FOUR
  40. THIRTY-FIVE
  41. THIRTY-SIX
  42. THIRTY-SEVEN
  43. THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. THIRTY-NINE
  45. FORTY
  46. FORTY-ONE
  47. FORTY-TWO
  48. FORTY-THREE
  49. FORTY-FOUR
  50. FORTY-FIVE
  51. FORTY-SIX
  52. FORTY-SEVEN
  53. FORTY-EIGHT
  54. FORTY-NINE
  55. FIFTY
  56. FIFTY-ONE
  57. FIFTY-TWO
  58. FIFTY-THREE
  59. FIFTY-FOUR
  60. FIFTY-FIVE
  61. FIFTY-SIX
  62. FIFTY-SEVEN
  63. FIFTY-EIGHT
  64. FIFTY-NINE
  65. SIXTY
  66. SIXTY-ONE
  67. SIXTY-TWO
  68. SIXTY-THREE
  69. SIXTY-FOUR
  70. SIXTY-FIVE
  71. SIXTY-SIX
  72. SIXTY-SEVEN
  73. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  74. CLIMATE EMERGENCY
  75. Copyright

‘Do you know the name of the officer involved?’

‘No, sorry. She was about your height, maybe a bit taller? Dark hair?’

‘PC Reynolds?’

‘Yes. I think so.’

‘She’s not on today. Can you come back in the week?’

‘Not really, it’s…’

Dana pushes past me, her hands clutching the edge of the desk, her mouth close to the microphone. ‘We have some information about an attack someone’s planning against someone in town. Against a group of people I mean.’

‘Could you stand back please, Miss, and wait your turn.’

‘Oh, we’re together,’ I add.

‘So it’s not about the incident with the cyclist?’ The officer crosses her arms.

‘No, but I thought PC Reynolds might—’

‘So what’s this attack?’ There’s a squeak of feedback from the microphone, and the last word rings around the waiting room like a siren.

Dana rejoins, speaking quickly, ‘There’re a group of people who are going to hurt someone – some people – soon. We’re part of that group but we want you to stop them. They’re looking for us – for me – fuck – so can you hurry up?’

The officer gestures towards a large notice above her head about how abuse or bad language will not be tolerated.

I place a hand on Dana’s back, steer her gently to one side. ‘I’m sorry, but she’s right. We really need to talk to someone quickly. The … situation. It’s quite … advanced?’ I know that I’m failing to sound as if I know what I’m talking about. ‘And they’re looking for Dana. I think they’ll hurt her if they find her.’

The officer appraises us slowly, her eyes moving from me to Dana and back again. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I try smiling at her to be as disarming as I can. Dana’s technique is the opposite. She shrugs off my hand and is just about to throw herself at the microphone again when there is a noise from the door. A man is shoved into the foyer, his hands handcuffed in front of him. Behind him, holding him by the collar, is the officer who sat in my living room.

She speaks to the woman behind the glass. ‘Graham’s been doling out fake tenners again. I’m going to book him and stick him in number five if it’s free.’

‘Really? Again, Graham?’ The microphone seems to working fine now.

The man hangs his head.

‘Yeah, fine.’ The officer behind the desk presses a button, there’s a loud noise – somewhere between a grinding of cogs and a foghorn – and our police officer pulls open the door to the right of the window.

‘PC Reynolds!’ I shout. The officer, still man-handling the fraudster, stops and looks at me a moment.

‘Do I know you?’