She cut the call, started the engine and pulled out of the car park onto the main road. Just to her right, McGlaglen still sat alone, a forlorn figure at the otherwise deserted bus stop. He didn’t look round at her, as she drove away in the direction of town.

Five minutes later, her phone buzzed as it received a text. Lucy pulled into a layby to check it.

The text, which was from Armstrong, read:

Shank = Roy Shankhill. 38, Rudyard Row

Careful. Total bastard

She didn’t bother texting back to say that, from what Jerry McGlaglen had just told her, Roy ‘the Shank’ Shankhill was unlikely to be much of a problem to anyone anymore.

Chapter 30

‘Lucy … what are you doing?’ It was Kirsty Banks on the hands-free.

Lucy was sitting at a red light when she took the call. ‘Following up those burglaries on the Hatchwood,’ she replied.

Banks sounded puzzled. ‘Haven’t we charged Jordan Burke with those breaks?’

‘Yeah … but there are anomalies.’

‘What kind of anomalies?’

The light changed, and Lucy eased forward into the midday traffic. ‘Unresolved ownership issues … with regard to the property.’

‘Lucy, we’ve got a backlog of violent crimes from the last two or three days alone. At least three or four of them were left in your and Harry’s in-tray. And as Harry’s not back off sick leave yet, that means they’re all yours.’

Harry.

Lucy could have sworn aloud. Okay, he’d been knocked around and he’d needed an overnighter in hospital, but he’d been discharged yesterday. As it was nothing worse than concussion, a more conscientious officer would not now be resting at home, especially given the recent preponderance of crimes to investigate. They’d have come in and got to it. But not Harry. On no … Harry being Harry, he’d take every minute he could.

‘Lucy, you still there?’ Banks said.

‘Look, Kirsty … I think there may be something more serious going on here. A kind of connection.’

‘Sorry, what are you talking about?’

‘A connection between these recent violent offences and the burglaries on the Hatchwood.’

A long silence followed while Banks mulled this over.

‘All I can say is that Stan’s currently hopping around the office,’ she finally said. ‘He wants this backlog clearing. So, if I tell him what you’ve just told me … can you give me your solemn guarantee that I’m not going to finish up looking a right plonker?’

‘I think this link’s genuine,’ Lucy replied. ‘Trouble is no one’s going on the record yet.’

‘So, I repeat my first question, what exactly are you doing now?’

‘I’m chasing up someone who will. I hope.’

‘Okay …’ Banks paused again. ‘But just get your backside in gear, Lucy, okay? I’m not going to trust you indefinitely on this.’