‘You should ask the rape suspect I put down with a kick to the groin if I can handle myself.’

‘That’s different – you were a decoy and no doubt had male backup close at hand. It’s true that when we carry out static observations on premises we think are about to be robbed, we can’t be sure the robbery will take place. But when it does, speed and surprise is of the essence on a pavement ambush – if you don’t want to get shot.’

‘I hear what you say, sir, but I won’t be going back to Division to appease you or anyone else on this squad. If you won’t let me be involved in arrests, can I be part of the surveillance team?’

‘The mobile surveillance team often find themselves in a position where they have to react quickly and some of them are armed. Have you done static observations before?’

She nodded, determined to persuade him she could be a useful asset to the squad.

‘Yes, both in premises and an observation van. Some of them were with DS Stanley, who, as you no doubt know, is an experienced and highly respected surveillance officer from whom I learnt a lot.’

Murphy paused, and Jane could feel her heart beating as the silence lengthened.

‘You’ve got balls, Tennison, I’ll give you that . . . I’m OK with you being a silent observer to start with, so you can see how we work – but if you fuck up, the experiment is over, and I will be the first to recommend your return to Division.’

Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

Jane felt a mixture of dismay and anger as she left Murphy’s office, but she was determined to show him, and the other squad officers, that she was a good detective and not just a token female. She didn’t doubt what Murphy said about getting rid of her if she messed up and knew he would be watching everything she did closely and going over her paperwork with a fine-toothed comb. She also realised that being accepted by the team was going to be hard work, especially if Murphy and Kingston told them she was nothing more than an ‘experiment’, but even if they did, she’d make sure they got the message that she was staying put and they could like it or lump it.

At the back of her mind, though, was another thought that had come from Murphy’s mention of Countryman. What if the real reason he didn’t want her on the squad was because they had something to hide? She hoped it wasn’t the case, but if she did stumble across any evidence of corruption, that would put her in an even more difficult position.

She saw Dabs sitting at her desk and looking through the open exhibits book as he tapped away at her typewriter.