‘Dammit. I lost him!’ Angus complained. Shutting the back door, he strode across the room to stand beside Nell and her captive. ‘You’re good at self-defence, my love.’

‘I was a woman on my own for a good many years. It was worth the hours of training to feel safe. And I’ve always kept reasonably fit.’ She jerked on the arm she was holding with both hands as the man wriggled.

They both looked grimly satisfied when he roared in pain.

‘I know how to break your arm in a few seconds if you give me any more trouble,’ she said in a cheerful voice.

He lay still again.

Angus had his phone out and was dialling the local police station. ‘We’ve captured a burglar in Saffron Lane. Oh good. Tell them where we are. It’s the first house.’ He shut down the phone and said to Nell, ‘They’re already on their way. Want me to take over?’

‘No. This hold is easy to maintain once you’ve got a firm grip on someone. He’ll just dislocate his shoulder if he struggles.’ She winked at Angus. ‘I wish he’d try. I’d love to hear him scream.’

Her captive gulped audibly.

Angus paced up and down, his expression growing tighter as he saw the materials which could have set the old house on fire. ‘They weren’t burglars; they came prepared for arson, damn them.’ He stopped next to the captive. ‘Just give me half a chance to punch you.’

The man stiffened but kept absolutely still.

‘Who sent you?’

When the man didn’t reply, Angus nudged him with one foot, then drew it back as if to kick him.

‘How the hell should I know? We were offered a job anonymously. Easy money, it seemed, so we took it.’

‘Not such easy money then, eh?’

‘His hand’s bleeding,’ Nell said. ‘It isn’t serious, though.’

‘Pity.’

There was a siren outside and Angus went to throw open the front door.

A burly policeman took over, complimenting them on their capture.

‘Not mine,’ Angus said. ‘My guy got away. It was my partner who captured this one.’

The female officer gave Nell a thumbs up and peered down at her captive. ‘Jock Crighton. How nice to see you again. Where’s your brother?’

He glared at her but said nothing.

In a falsely sympathetic tone, she added, ‘Aw, he’s bleeding. Poor man. How did that happen?’

‘That woman slashed me,’ the prisoner said at once.

‘With what? My only weapon was a rolling pin.’ Nell jerked her head towards where it lay on the floor. She let the male officer take over and jerk the man on the floor to his feet, then turned to the woman. ‘I demand that you search me immediately. I don’t want any doubt about whether I’m carrying a knife.’

The female officer obliged. ‘You’re good. No knife.’

‘She threw it away,’ the man said.

‘How? I was holding you.’

The male officer gave him a shake. ‘Let’s have the truth, eh, Jock? It’ll make things easier than if you muck us around. You haven’t been out of jail for long this time, have you? You couldn’t even walk straight down a narrow corridor. Let’s have the truth, now.’