‘Sea, sand, sunshine. What’s not to like?’ Lolly watched a plane disappear silently over the top of the trees, a pinhead of light in the sky. ‘Listen to how quiet it is here. In London it’s all noise, noise, noise.’

Annoyed that he had been positioned too far from the drop-off point, Craig scanned the park. ‘Some of us want to go where the noise and excitement is.’

‘I like to see the good in people, Craigy,’ she said, offended. ‘But you make it difficult sometimes. Southend ain’t the most glamorous place. It ain’t as exciting as your London, mate, but some of us like it that way. My friends are here, and my family, and I don’t like people being nasty about it.’

Lolly Chambers was usually a cheerful little thing, he couldn’t remember her ever being in a bad mood, and it amused Craig to see her all riled up. Red spots appeared on her cheeks, her threaded eyebrows leapt up her forehead.

‘A piece of advice.’ He rotated his ankle to get some circulation back into his leg. Was it his imagination or was she pressing down harder on his thigh on purpose? ‘If you want to move up the ladder, then you’re going to have to think bigger than the seaside, know what I mean? Don’t be a tourist in your own life.’

‘Oh, you’re so clever, Craigy,’ she said sarcastically. ‘If that’s what you think, then why are you even here?’

‘I saw an opportunity for advancement and I took it. But don’t worry, I’m not going to be here for long. It’s a stepping stone for me. What I really want to do is join the National Crime Agency.’

‘You do realize, Craig, that I can hear everything you say?’ said Sasha in his earpiece.

‘Ouch.’ Lolly laughed, but she kept her leg hooked over his and he didn’t tell her to remove it.

Sasha told all the officers positioned around the park, ‘Here she comes.’

When Michelle Dormand walked along the pathway on the far side of the green, heading towards the bin, Lolly turned to watch.

‘You’re going to give us away!’ Craig said.

‘I’m watching out the corner of my eye.’ She flashed him an angry glance. ‘I know what I’m doing, fanks.’

‘She’s dropping the money in now,’ said Sasha, as Michelle paused at the bin to push a brown envelope into the slot, then walked quickly out of the park.

‘I hope the target comes soon,’ he muttered.

‘Me too, mate!’

They sat in tense silence for another ten minutes. Craig couldn’t help noticing the way Lolly’s full lips were pressed together in a terse pout beneath her ski-jump nose.