‘All I know at present is that you, Mr Lazenby, have joined an elite but fast-expanding club.’

Lazenby looked baffled. ‘I don’t feel too honoured.’

‘You should, you’re in excellent company.’ McCracken strode back towards the ramp.

‘Where are you going now?’

‘Don’t leave town,’ the gangster called over his shoulder.

‘I couldn’t even if I wanted to … can’t afford it, can I!’

McCracken glanced back. ‘You could always walk …’ He stared at the guy’s undamaged legs. ‘In fact, I strongly suspect someone’s gone to considerable trouble to suggest that’s precisely what you should do.’

Chapter 34

‘Lucy?’ When Danny Tucker answered his phone, he sounded as if he was at the wheel; evening traffic rumbled in the background.

Even though she was outside the front of 38, Rudyard Row, Lucy had no compunction about raising her voice so that he could hear her. ‘Danny … I’ve got another crime scene for you!’

‘You’ve got a … what?’

‘An armed robbery carried out by two bandits wearing black leather jackets and red woollen ski masks, and armed with sub-machine guns. Two casualties. Both shot in the legs. Ring any bells?’

‘What’re you talking about … where are you?’

Lucy paced the pavement, stumbling over her words in her efforts to tell him everything.

‘Lucy … hang about!’ Tucker had only heard a few sentences, but he was clearly so surprised that he was struggling to believe her. ‘When did this happen?’

‘I can’t be sure. Sometime in the last month.’

‘So … what’s the story?’

‘There’s a loan shark called Roy Shankhill. He rents a unit on Rudyard Row, part of the old industrial site between the canal and the railway. Some time ago, he got robbed, and him and his minder got mown down in the process.’

‘How’ve you …’ Tucker still sounded stunned. ‘Lucy, how’ve you found this out?’

‘Don’t worry, I’ve not been moonlighting on your investigation. Basically, our two cases have converged. Would you believe the common denominator is charity?’

‘Charity?’

She told him about Jordan Burke and how at least one of his burglary victims had been the recipient of a generous but anonymous donation.

‘You think Burke’s involved?’ he interrupted.

‘Nah … he’s just an opportunist thief who got lucky. I mean, get this …’ She went on to describe the Rolex that Burke insisted he stole from Reg Murgatroyd.

‘Burke stole a thirty-grand Rolex from a little old man living on a council estate?’ Danny repeated, stunned.

‘Exactly what I thought. But it seems the Rolex actually belonged to this loan shark, Shankhill.’

‘Have you got this character with you now?’