‘I’m a police officer, not a hoodlum. I can’t ignore serious offences when they happen right in front of me.’

‘Well … it’s your choice.’ McCracken strolled up the slope. ‘If the regulations come first, that’s fine … if you want to be a good little plastic soldier, there’s nothing I can do. But we’re leaving right now, even if you aren’t. I have important people of my own to talk to.’

Lucy knew what this meant: he was going to report to the Crew. And that would be it for the Robbery Squad. They’d kill Tucker for sure, but only after torturing him to discover who his confederates were – and then they’d kill them as well.

‘Wait!’ She scrambled uphill after him.

At the top, McCracken turned again.

‘I’m not denying that these blaggers are rogue cops,’ Lucy said. ‘And I understand why you want them dead … but how will that work out for you? A bunch of murdered police officers? Seriously? No one’s going to let that drop. You’ll be watching your backs for the rest of time. Meanwhile, what’s left of the Robbery Squad will be boosted. There’ll be sympathy for them, and anger that their colleagues fell in the line of duty.’

‘Like we give a shit,’ Shallicker said.

‘Well that shows how thick you are!’ she retorted. ‘Look …’ she focussed on McCracken. ‘GMP top brass are seriously thinking about closing the Robbery Squad. One of your worst nightmares will be taken off the table altogether. But you pop a few more of its officers and things could change. They’ll say these guys served a purpose after all, that they’ve got the underworld scared. So, then they won’t be shut down – they’ll get more men, more resources. They’ll interfere with your cash flow like you’ve never known.’

McCracken remained stony-faced, but at least appeared to be listening.

‘But if I can arrest these guys as criminals,’ Lucy said, ‘and bang them up completely legally, it’ll be very different. They’ll say the Robbery Squad’s corrupt, they’ll put what’s left of them under the most intense scrutiny they’ve ever known … and those who want them gone because they’re an expensive luxury will go at it full steam.’ She paused, breathing hard. ‘So that’s the deal? Kill these Red-Headed blaggers and the Squad lives on? Or let me arrest them and the Squad disappears?’

‘You put your case passionately, Lucy,’ McCracken finally said. ‘I’ll give you that. The trouble is … we can’t leave it to you. You’re good, darling, but you’re not that good.’

‘I’m not going to back off … I have to do what I think is right.’