‘She’s a good detective, but a woman on the Flying Squad will always be a liability. She’d never have been able to take down O’Reilly or Nichols like the Colonel and Teflon did, or be any good in a street fight with people like the Ripleys. I’ll be telling the Commissioner’s office their little experiment isn’t working and I’m asking for a male replacement.’

*

The office celebrations were in full swing and Jane was feeling a little drunk when she went over to the Colonel to have a quiet word in his ear about the ten pounds he’d pocketed.

‘Why did you only give Gentleman Jim a tenner when it was supposed to be twenty?’

He smiled. ‘You’re a sharp cookie, Jane, but I didn’t nick it. If I’d had to have paid Jim a score I would have, but I decided to front him out and gave the tenner back to Kingston. He didn’t want it, though.’

‘So, what did you do with it?’

‘You’re drinking it, Treacle.’

She smiled and wagged her finger at him. ‘You’re as slay as a fox, Cooonel,’ she said, slurring her words.

Stanley turned the radio up and the sound of the Bee Gees’ hit ‘Stayin’ Alive’ filled the room. He jumped up on the table, then started doing point-and-shake moves and gyrating his hips like John Travolta. There was a loud cheer in the room, and everyone clapped and whistled to the music.

‘Can you jive, Jane?’ Teflon asked, holding out his hand.

‘Can a duck swim?’ She took hold of his hand.

There was a loud roar of encouragement from her colleagues as she did a walk-through move and a twirl with Teflon.

It suddenly hit her that despite their rough edges, they were not only a great bunch of guys, but bloody good at what they did. And one thing was guaranteed: there was never a dull moment in the Flying Squad.

Yes, she thought, the Flying Squad is where I want to be.

About the Author

About the author

Lynda La Plante was born in Liverpool. She trained for the stage at RADA and worked with the National Theatre and RDC before becoming a television actress. She then turned to writing – and made her breakthrough with the phenomenally successful TV series Widows. Her novels have all been international bestsellers.

Her original script for the much-acclaimed Prime Suspect won awards from BAFTA, Emmy, British Broadcasting and Royal Television Society, as well as the 1993 Edgar Allan Poe Award. Lynda has written and produced over 170 hours of international television.

Lynda is one of only three screenwriters to have been made an honorary fellow of the British Film Institute and was awarded the BAFTA Dennis Potter Best Writer Award in 2000. In 2008, she was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to Literature, Drama and Charity.