Lucy glanced over there and saw Danny Tucker working his way through the tables towards her.

Smiley chuckled to herself as she melted away into the crowd.

‘Glad you could make it,’ Tucker said, looking surprised but elated that Lucy was here.

‘Least I could do, once you’d invited me,’ she replied, as they sidled to the bar together. ‘What’ll you have?’

‘Put your money away,’ he said. ‘It’s all on the DI.’

‘Really?’ Lucy glanced at him, amazed.

‘She’s a happy bunny … and so she should be after the last few days.’

‘I really do feel honoured,’ Lucy said, as they moved away, bottles of lager in hand. She scanned the room, looking for anyone else from the ordinary world of Division who might have received an invitation; there were none as far as she could see.

‘If you’re looking for Lee Gaskin, don’t fret,’ Tucker said. ‘He’s on an obbo tonight. I made sure of it.’

‘I’m not worried about him.’ That was mostly truthful; if Lucy was to progress her interest in the Robbery Squad, she knew she’d have to get used to being around a hostile entity like Gaskin, but some small part of her was glad that he wasn’t here this evening.

‘Anyway, you’re the woman of the hour,’ Tucker said. ‘How could we not invite you?’

An explosion of shouting drew their attention back to the pool table, where DI Blake, having despatched her opponent, had thrown out a general challenge to the rest of the blokes encircling her. ‘Minimum price is twenty,’ Lucy heard her shout. ‘Gotta pay my bar bill somehow.’

They responded with roars of approval, half a dozen hands waving the requisite banknotes.

‘DI Blake certainly keeps you guys on your toes,’ Lucy said.

‘She’s something else, isn’t she?’

‘She’s young. Was she fast-tracked?’

‘No way.’ Tucker seemed amused she would ask such a question. He kicked a couple of stools out from under an empty table, so they could sit together. ‘Hasn’t got a degree, or anything. Rocketed her way up through the ranks under her own steam. And no airs and graces, you know. A copper’s copper, as they say.’

Lucy thought about the gallery of notorious faces on the section of office wall behind Blake’s desk, and how many of them had been etched out with a big, blood-red X.

‘She certainly gets results. You all do.’