‘An IC1 male matching Target 5’s description has just turned up at the garage driving a white Ford Transit van, Oscar Mike Echo 547 November.’

Cam did a PNC check and spoke to Teflon.

‘The vehicle is registered to the garage – Gold said to assume the driver is Target 5 for now.’

‘Received,’ Teflon replied.

*

Jane had just finished clearing and wiping down a table when Rachel came in and sat down.

Nick gave her a wave and whispered to Jane, ‘She a sordomuto – you have to give her the pad and she write down what she want.’

Jane thought it was funny that he was whispering, then went over to Rachel and handed her the pen and notepad. Rachel wrote down what she wanted and handed the pad back to Jane, who, without thinking, started to read out her order of a bacon and egg sandwich for Rachel to lip-read it was correct. Rachel looked at her, wide-eyed, and started to tap her ears and mouth, indicating she couldn’t hear or speak. Jane tore the order off the pad and handed it to Nick, who shook his head.

‘I just tell you she deaf and you talk to her when she no can understand what you a say.’

Jane felt herself reddening. ‘Sorry, I won’t do it again.’

As Jane gave Rachel her cup of tea, the cafe door opened and the Ripley brothers walked in. Glancing around, she was instantly struck by the likeness to the drawings Rachel had done of them. George was wearing a green waxed Barbour jacket just like the one Rita Brown had described, and a blue open-neck shirt with grey Farah slacks. Tommy was dressed in a black roll neck jumper, black trousers and wearing the gold boxing gloves pendant Rachel had spoken about. Jane was surprised how normal they looked. It was hard to imagine them carrying shotguns and threatening people, though George did walk with a confident swagger. Tommy, by contrast, shuffled along meekly behind him.

A young man sitting at their usual table by the wall moved when he saw them. Jane felt nervous but, knowing she had to appear calm and natural, took a deep breath and went to take their order.

‘Good morning, gentleman, what can I get you?’

‘Bloody hell, makes a change to see a pretty face serving up in here, darlin’,’ Tommy said.

She smiled. ‘Thanks . . . darlin’.’

Tommy winked. ‘My pleasure.’

George laughed. ‘A bit of sass as well. You having the full English?’ His brother nodded. ‘Same for me, and two coffees.’

‘Cappuccinos, latte or—’

‘None of that shit – just normal with milk.’

As Jane took their order over to Nick, she thought George was ill-mannered as he never once said ‘please’ or ‘thank you’. She noted that, like the Securicor guard had mentioned, George had a gravelly voice and brown eyes.