Nikki didn’t feel quite so positive. She’d been part of some glorious cock-ups in the past, and knew that the slightest thing, the most inauspicious action, could ruin the whole operation. She closed the door, buckled up her seat belt and switched on her radio. ‘I’ll see if I can find out how it’s going.’

The radio crackled into life, and her heart sank. From the shouts and barked orders that were being sent to the police vehicles in the area, things seemed far from peachy at the docks.

‘DI Galena! Present location Greenborough Hospital. Can we assist?’

‘Two suspects apprehended, two on their toes, ma’am. Last seen running from the docks thirty minutes ago. No sightings since.’

‘Damn! Damn!’ cursed Nikki. ‘Do we know who they are?’ Don’t let it be Doyle! Just not Doyle!

‘No, ma’am. One is a white male, and one a young white female.’

Nikki signed off, then crashed her balled fists down on the dash board. She could barley bring herself to say the words. ‘She’s got away.’

‘So where to, ma’am? Shall we go help look for her?’

‘Where would she go? Who would help them?’ Nikki was thinking out loud. ‘They’re going to need transport. A car.’

‘Surely they’ll nick one?’

‘Frankie wouldn’t want to damage her nail polish, but who is she with? One of the Flukes, or Stephen Cox? The henchmen could hot-wire a car in seconds, but Cox, no, probably not. We better get back to the station, Dave, get some more details before we chase our tails all around the town.’

For a while she could hardly speak, her blood boiling at the thought of that scum on the loose again. Okay, maybe she’d lost all her merchandise, but Doyle still had her freedom.

‘Any cars in the vicinity of Adams Way! Lone female, possibly our suspect, heading towards the Carborough Estate.’ The radio screeched at them.

‘The Carborough, Dave! And fast!’

Dave did a U-turn and drove at speed down a series of side streets that led towards the Estate. ‘If she gets in there, we’ll never find her!’

‘Don’t be so sure.’ Nikki flipped open her phone, punched the speed dial number for Archie Leonard, and talked earnestly for a few minutes. As she closed the phone, a cold smile spread across her face and she half whispered. ‘Nowhere to hide, Frankie Doyle. The big boys are very unhappy with you.’

‘So where should I go now?’ asked Dave, looking around the deserted streets.

‘Just cruise, and keep your eyes peeled. She’s here somewhere. It’s the only place in town that she believes she might be safe.’