‘Okay, gorgeous, up you get,’ someone said. ‘It’s not like you need any beauty sleep.’

At first, Lucy was too fuddled to make sense of things. She sat up in the armchair, blinking, hair hanging over her eyes. Then she realised that the person standing next to her, the one who’d just shaken her by the shoulder, was Priya Nehwal.

The short but authoritative figure, shabby as ever in anorak, faded military-style trousers and trainers, was carrying a plate of buttered toast in one hand and two large mugs of coffee in the other. She nodded towards the door and set off. Lucy got up from the chair still groggy. When she glanced at her watch, it was shortly after seven, which explained why there was an atmosphere of bustle elsewhere in the nick. The night shift would be going home, and the morning shift replacing them.

Yawning, she walked out into the main part of the rec room, where a cleaner was mopping down table-tops, and a couple of the night lads grabbing a game of snooker before they headed home. A smell of bacon issued from the canteen.

Nehwal found a table that had already been cleared and plonked herself down, indicating that Lucy should pull up a stool. She pushed the plate of toast into the middle and handed Lucy her coffee.

‘White without sugar,’ she said.

‘Erm, yeah … thanks, ma’am.’ Lucy took a sip; it was hot and tasted like nectar.

‘Get stuck into that.’ Nehwal nudged the plate. ‘We’ve got a long day ahead.’

Lucy was famished, and it was all she could do not to fall on the breakfast ravenously. ‘What are you doing here, ma’am?’ she said, munching. ‘Do you mind me asking?’

‘Well, first of all –’ Nehwal took a bite of toast and a slurp of coffee ‘– I want to know what you and Wild Bill chatted about at the hospital last night.’

‘Ahh, right … he wanted to get in to see McCracken. I said no.’

‘Why?’ Nehwal asked, which took Lucy by surprise.

‘Well … I didn’t know what his purpose was. McCracken had already been shot once.’

‘Are you familiar with the Crew?’

Lucy was now wide awake and felt nervous about where this conversation was leading. ‘Only inasmuch as we all are.’

‘Because McCracken and Pentecost are supposed to be thick as thieves. No pun intended.’

‘I’ve heard that, ma’am. I just wondered if something had happened that could have turned them against each other.’

‘Well, if it has, and that’s possible, it’s highly unlikely that the Chairman of the Crew’s board of directors would deliver the death message personally. But I reckon you did the right thing. It’s anyone’s guess what would have happened in there. It was brave of you. Just out of interest, did you speak to McCracken?’