In Alyssa’s mind, Ivana wasn’t just the prudent planner, she could do amazing things at the drop of a hat. Like the meathead. She’d known they’d needed another Category A to impress the old man. And though that would normally take some careful prep, this opportunity had come from nowhere, and she’d planned it all in a matter of minutes. The 10mg of haloperidol they’d hit Cunningham with had needed to be carefully sourced, but ever-ready Ivana always carried lesser drugs around with her – like diazepam, for example. Even then, she’d winged it, instructing Alyssa to bring the van and meet her in the church’s car park rather than at the gym, because she was guessing it would have fewer cameras (in fact, it had turned out to have none). She’d also gambled that they’d be able to lure their target round to the back of the holy building. And yet again, because it was Ivana’s gig, things seemed to have fallen for them. They hadn’t expected to find the pitchfork, or that the church’s rear porch would be open, and it was pure fluke that Alyssa’s voluminous old cagoule had doubled in the darkness for a monkish habit.

Fluke maybe, fortuitous even … but then fortune often favoured the bold. That was something else about Ivana – at least in Alyssa’s eyes: she was bold, daring. Little wonder the younger girl was so happily led by her – which was why it wasn’t just amusing to see Alyssa adopting the cautious approach now, it was also charming. Because she wasn’t trying to impress her older sister by displaying restraint, she was trying to emulate her.

‘So, what do you think?’ Alyssa glanced up. ‘We don’t need to do this one straight away, if you don’t want to. It’s very late and we won’t be at our best.’

Ivana shook her head as she poured the kettle. ‘Nah … we’re dressed, we’re awake. We’ll go out again tonight. Even if it’s just to sus the lay of the land. You never know, an opportunity might arise there and then.’

Alyssa looked unsure. ‘That might have worked at the gym for the meathead, but this one –’ she waved a fistful of photos ‘– this one’s different.’

Ivana smiled as she sipped her coffee. ‘I don’t know, doll. A lot of these guys … they all turn out to be meatheads in the end.’

Alyssa glanced back through the documentation, pursing her lips in thoughtful, grown-up fashion. Ivana smiled again and placed her coffee on the worktop alongside a folded newspaper. It was that day’s edition of the Manchester Evening News.

Immediately, something on its front page caught her attention.

She stiffened where she stood, and then grabbed it up.

‘What’s wrong?’ Alyssa asked.