As the car toured the lonely streets, Nikki suddenly realized what Yvonne had meant when she said that the atmosphere was ‘bad’. In a very short time, the Carborough had subtly changed. The streets that she knew so well felt sinister and threatening. Shadows were no longer just shadows; they were pools of darkness that concealed the shapes of men. The whole place had seemed to come to life, but you saw nothing clearly.

Nikki felt her pulse quicken. They were out there. They were looking for her.

Other police cars drifted in and out of side streets. A window went down and a few negative words were spoken before the cars sighed off again.

It seemed like an eternity, but it took less that thirty minutes for her mobile to ring.

‘Archie?’ Her voice shook in anticipation.

The voice on the other end was slow, calm, and carried all the warmth of the Polar ice cap. ‘Come to the Zig Zag café. Back door is unlocked. Tell no one.’

Nikki stared at the phone, then pressed the ‘end’ button.

‘Where to, ma’am? Has he found her?’

Nikki inhaled, then held her breath for several seconds before she blew the air out.

‘I think he may have.’

‘Fan-bloody-tastic! That was a stroke of genius, Guv, asking the enemy to help.’

‘Archie Leonard isn’t the enemy, Dave. He’s a villain, but he’s hung on to some sort of values. Stephen Cox and Frankie Doyle are the true enemy, and they don’t have any friends, either in our world or Archie Leonard’s.’

‘So where is she, Guv?’

‘Close by.’ She turned and looked at Dave. ‘And I’m going to suggest that—’ Before she could continue, Dave swore loudly and swiftly pulled the car into the curb.

‘Shit!’ Dave jumped out of the car and stared down at the front driver’s side tyre. ‘Jesus! Look at that!’

In the narrow side street lay part of an improvised stinger, the sort of equipment that they used themselves to stop stolen cars and joyriders by shredding their tyres. ‘We sure aren’t going any further until I change that!’ muttered Dave, pushing up his sleeves.

‘We don’t have time!’ Nikki leapt from the car. This was her golden opportunity! ‘I’ll go and find Archie! You stay with the car, or we’ll come back and find no wheels, no radio, and possibly no engine!’

‘But you can’t go on your own, ma’am!’ Dave looked completely torn. He knew exactly what the Carborough kids would do to his vehicle if he walked away from it. ‘I’ll call for back-up.’

‘Not yet, Dave! Think about it! I’ve got the biggest, baddest man on the block, plus half his extensive family, all looking out for me! Who’s safest, me or you?’