It was a lucrative business indeed and Bailey was eager to find out more about quantities and frequencies of deliveries so she could get a sense of the scale of their operation, as well as any insights into the nature of the organised crime group on the outside who were supplying the drugs. However, not wanting to appear too interested, she contented herself with an obedient nod.

Toni clapped her on the back and smiled, her gold tooth sparkling in the corner of her mouth. ‘You did good. You’re one of us now. And soon you’ll be reaping the rewards.’

Chapter 50

Bailey closed her eyes and savoured the dreamlike piano chords of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’ through the earpiece of the phone receiver.

‘Hello, Bailey,’ said Frank, the music cutting off abruptly.

Her eyes blinked open.

‘I’ve located the source of the drugs,’ she said, without any preamble. ‘It’s a prison officer by the name of Terry Brinkle.’

She then proceeded to recount the nature of the transaction in the chapel, the cash and the drugs involved.

‘Excellent work,’ he said when she had finished. ‘This is exactly the kind of information the drugs squad want to know.’

‘Alice must have been on the cusp of identifying Terry when she was murdered.’

‘Let me check something quickly,’ he said.

She heard the sound of computer keys tapping in the background.

He came back on the line: ‘I just looked at the prison officers’ rota. I got a copy off the murder investigation team. It says here that Terry was one of those who was on duty the night that Natalie was murdered.’

‘What about Alice and Poodle?’

‘Just a sec…’

She waited tensely as he checked, listening to his ragged breathing – he was evidently as excited as she was.

‘According to this,’ he said. ‘Terry was on duty when Alice was killed but not when Poodle was killed. He had a day off.’

‘Well, assuming that he just facilitated where necessary, he only actually needed to be on duty when Natalie was murdered as that required the most facilitation.’

‘I think we’ve narrowed it down sufficiently to point to Terry as their agent on the other side of the bars. Do you think he’s working alone, or do you think there are other members of staff involved? By the sounds of things, it’s quite a slick and well-organised operation with fairly significant quantities involved. I’d be surprised if he isn’t getting some kind of assistance.’

‘The gang haven’t mentioned anyone else and he’s the only member of staff I’ve conducted business with so far.’

‘Well, we’ll just focus on him for the time being. You’ve done excellent work in managing to identify him.’

‘Alice said he was well concealed. And he certainly makes an effort to be that way.’

‘He can’t afford not to be. Have you heard what they do to ex-screws inside?’

‘No. What?’

‘They chuck a cup of boiling water over them. Except that they put sugar in it. That makes it stick to you like napalm, so it melts your skin.’