It hadn’t taken them long to locate and arrest Terry, but not before he’d managed to alert the Governor to the situation. Then she’d taken them down to the basement, where they’d recovered the bodies of Leonard and Poppy from the laundry and transformed the whole area into a crime scene for further detailed forensic analysis.

By the time they’d got to the Governor’s five-bedroom detached home in Hampstead, he had his solicitor there waiting with him in his drawing room. But his pleas of innocence had fallen on deaf ears. With some satisfaction, Bailey had personally read him his rights, cuffed him and taken him into custody.

For the time being, HMP Foxbrook had been put under the direction of an interim governor, who had sealed up the breach in the laundry and launched a complete review of prison security.

‘Bailey.’

She turned around. Frank had just emerged from the building behind her. He smiled.

‘That went well. They’re really pleased with you. This has worked out great for everyone. And I think your testimony will seal it for good.’

Bailey sighed at the thought of it. It wasn’t over yet. The Crown Prosecution Service were planning to prosecute the Governor, Terry and the members of the Ace Blade Crew, and Bailey’s testimony was going to be key to securing their convictions.

The Governor and Terry had each been charged with wilful misconduct in public office as well as serious offences related to the supply and distribution of illegal drugs. Both were currently being held on remand in the same prison on a secure wing for their own protection. Terry was being extremely co-operative as expected, in the hope of getting a lighter sentence and, much to the satisfaction of the NCA, had already begun to give up details about the organised crime group who were behind the supply of drugs to the prison. The Governor, on the other hand, was in denial about the whole affair.

Frank chuckled. ‘The last I heard, the Governor was demanding to talk to his “friend” the Home Secretary. He’s claiming that it’s all some kind of big misunderstanding.’

‘However much he’s paying his lawyer, I doubt it’s going to be enough to pull that off.’

‘I reckon he’ll be spending most if not all of his retirement at Her Majesty’s pleasure. Probably not quite what he was expecting when he signed up to the Prison Service.’

As for the Ace Blade Crew, they had been split up and were in the process of being moved to separate prisons around the country. They were facing prosecution for a gamut of offences, ranging from possession of offensive weapons, possession of mobile phones and possession and supply of psychoactive substances. But Bailey was sceptical that any further convictions would have much effect on their behaviour, particularly for someone like Toni who would no doubt just hook up with whatever chapter of the gang existed in whichever prison she was placed in.

‘They’ve sworn revenge on you,’ said Frank, his face darkening, ‘and they have associates on the outside who’ll be looking to get even with you. So it’s probably a wise idea to keep one eye over your shoulder from now on.’