Then he felt her stiffen as a figure walked purposefully across the grass. It was a tall man in camo trousers, heavy boots and a fleece. The sun was behind him, making the detail of his face a blur, no matter how much Craig squinted.

‘Now you’re looking!’ complained Lolly as he tracked the man’s progress towards the bin. ‘He’s going to see you.’

‘I got this,’ he said.

‘Look at me instead, because we’re meant to be in love.’

Annoyed, Craig looked into her eyes – they were a vivid pale blue surrounded by an ocean of white – and her gaze was unflinching. One moment became another moment, and then a bit longer than that, and then Craig said, ‘He’s gone past.’

‘Yeah, thank God,’ she told him, but they were still looking at each other. Then they both reluctantly turned away to watch the man arrive at the bin. He circled it nervously, glancing around the park.

‘Wait for it…’ warned Sasha’s voice. They watched him crouch at the slot, whip out the envelope – and walk away.

‘Strike, strike, strike!’ commanded Sasha and the surveillance officers moved swiftly towards the man from all over the park. Lolly jumped from the bench in pursuit, and Craig stood – and nearly fell over.

‘Son of a b-!’ The weight of Lolly’s leg had made his go dead. Craig stumbled after her, pounding his foot down hard to get the circulation going, but he was already losing pace with the others, when all he was focused on was making the collar himself. Pins and needles shot up and down his thigh as he limped along, but he kept going.

The target saw the officers closing in from every direction and vaulted over a railing and out of the park, heading towards a tall fence at the end of a row of gardens. He hooked his arms over the top and swung out of sight. A couple of officers took a run at it, but didn’t manage to get over and slid uselessly back down.

‘Go around the side,’ shouted Craig, leaping the railing and racing towards the fence, gaining momentum, feeling his leg coming back to life – and sensing an opportunity to make his mark.

He took a running jump at the fence. Heaved himself up and over, falling into a rose bush on the other side. Thorns tearing at his face and arms, he scrambled to his feet, ran across the garden. The spray swishing from a rotating sprinkler system cooled his face.

Craig ran at the next fence, hauling himself over. He stumbled over a child’s plastic pedal car, just about landing upright, and his right foot sank into a cold paddling pool.