Gaskin rounded on Lucy. ‘You live a charmed fucking life, Clayburn, that’s all I can say.’

‘That’s enough,’ Tucker growled. ‘Now you watch your mouth … all right?’

‘It’s okay,’ Lucy said. ‘He’s just ticked off because he had a gander in a mirror.’

‘I’m warning you …’ Gaskin snarled.

Tucker grabbed his collar and slammed him back against the corridor wall. ‘I said that’s enough! You know the rules, Lee … we don’t have shit in Robbery Squad. Anyone stirs it, they’ll find themselves out on their earhole, you understand?’

‘And that’ll be down to you, will it, Sarge?’

‘It’ll be down to DI Blake, who I’m sure won’t take very kindly to hearing one of her fellow female officers referred to as “a bitch”. Especially when the officer in question has just pulled out a real plum for us.’

‘Just … get the fuck off me!’ Gaskin wriggled free and backed away. ‘Tell me something, Danny … you’re not thinking of bringing her into the Squad permanently? Do me that favour at least.’

‘I’m not doing you any favours. Now you do as I say, you dozy little pillock … get home and get your head in gear. I don’t want to see you around here until DC Clayburn’s had a written apology from you.’

‘Yeah … that’ll be the day Hell fucking freezes.’ Gaskin turned and stumped away.

‘And check your pistol first!’ Tucker shouted, to which Gaskin replied with a V-sign over his shoulder.

Tucker turned and eyed Lucy, who was still doing her best to remain unflustered.

‘You want to tell me what all that was about?’ he asked.

‘It’s not a short story.’

‘Better if you get your side in first, trust me.’

She nodded, acknowledging the wisdom of that.

‘Still sure you don’t want that late-night tipple?’ he asked.

Lucy pursed her lips. Under the circumstances, she was no longer sure of any such thing.

Chapter 14

‘Before he joined the Robbery Squad, Lee Gaskin was the adoring student of a certain DI Mandy Doyle,’ Lucy said.

Tucker frowned as he tried to recollect the name. ‘Think that rings a bell.’

‘It ought to. It was quite a scandal.’

He’d slumped in the swivel chair on the other side of his desk, fingertips playing round the rim of his whisky glass, which contained several inches of reddish/amber liquor. Apart from Lucy, who’d also pulled up a chair and had a tumbler of the good stuff in front of her, the Robbery Squad office was empty.