Nikki nodded thoughtfully. ‘Some of the names that her parents gave us, contemporaries from junior school years, wouldn’t mean too much to you, but I can assure you that as young adults they are regulars in the custody suite.’ She sucked in air. ‘And the name Frankie Doyle was something I never thought I’d hear from anyone in connection with Kerry Anderson.’

‘Why? Is she known to us in some way?’

‘She’s known to me,’ said Nikki through gritted teeth.

‘And not in a nice way, I guess?’ Joseph stared at her enquiringly.

‘She’s poison. She hurts people. Innocent people.’ Nikki stared out of the windscreen. ‘And I’ve never managed to pin a bloody thing on her.’

She felt an involuntary shiver chase down her spine. Her own enquiry, the very private one that she’d successfully kept under wraps for so long, was suddenly becoming entangled with the hunt for Kerry Anderson, and with this bloody Mask War, what ever it was.

She bit down hard on her lip and glanced across to the man sitting next to her. No matter what his reputation said about him, he was the most astute officer she’d worked with for years. He was no fool, and she’d be a fool herself to try to deceive him. The problem was, just how much was she prepared to tell him. And because of his secrets, she couldn’t totally trust him. Her mind went into overdrive. She clearly needed some time to work that one out, so all she could do at present was stick to basics.

‘One thing, though, one of my sources reckons Frankie Doyle’s started mixing with some very nasty people, so hopefully she’ll get out of her depth and slip up. And I’ll be waiting.’

Joseph raised an eyebrow. ‘Then it sounds like Kerry was very lucky to get away from them.’

Nikki bit her lip again. ‘If she did.’

‘You won’t believe this, ma’am, but Archie Leonard is here to see you!’ The civilian from the front desk pounced on them as they entered the station. ‘He’s been here for ages.’

‘What the hell?’ breathed Nikki.

‘Even I’ve heard of him,’ muttered Joseph from behind. ‘The Godfather of the Carborough!’

‘Well, this is a first. You’d better sit in, Sergeant. It could be interesting.’

‘Try to stop me.’

‘But first,’ Nikki pulled Joseph to one side and dropped her voice to little more than a whisper. ‘Just so that you know, Archie Leonard is no mindless thug, okay? He’s been the king of the Carborough for as long as I can remember. His family have lived there since it was built, but he’s an “old school” crook, if you know what I mean?’

‘What, one of the Heroes and Villains Brigade?’