‘He’s on loan from uniform,’ continued the DI. ‘The Super thinks he only wants to work with me because he’s a lazy bastard and knows that he can spend most of his time hanging around doing sod all while I do all the hard graft.’ She looked at Dave, who was still nodding, although with considerably less conviction. ‘Maybe that’s right, or maybe I know different.’ She turned to the other officer. ‘And this is DC Cat Cullen. Frankly, she’s a bit of a Billy No-Mates, too. She’s only here because no one else would have her. Her inability to get in on time doesn’t go down too well with most team leaders.’

The woman said nothing, but threw Joseph a ‘poor sod, what have you let yourself in for’ look.

‘But …’ conceded the DI. ‘… if you want a genius to go undercover, she’s your woman. Send her out on a bit of recon and even our own surveillance boys don’t recognize her. Frankly, her own mother wouldn’t know her.’

‘Talented, ain’t I?’ said Cat with a grin.

‘Whatever, and it pains me to say this, but nice work helping me to nail Darren Barton.’

‘That slime-ball! Believe me, it was a sheer delight, Guv.’

Galena suddenly turned and looked directly at him. ‘And this is Detective Sergeant Joseph Easter, here for one month, maybe, on loan from Fenchester. And with your reputation, Joseph, you should fit in a treat.’

Joseph smiled. After all, he had been warned. And so far, DI Nikki Galena was delivering everything that he had expected.

‘Right. Sit. And listen. Two things. One, we are still trying to find the origins of those damned masks. Dave, you fill the sergeant here in on them later. And two, the Super has given us a low-key investigation to carry out.’ She perched on the edge of a desk and picked up a thin file. ‘It’s less official, more a favour under the old pals act, unless we discover otherwise.’ As she looked at her small team, Joseph noticed an odd look in her eyes. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it looked very much like pain.