‘Unconscious suspect on the floor back there,’ I said to one of the uniforms. ‘White male, cheap suit. Non-life-threatening injuries. Had a firearm but now disarmed, check for other weapons, hold him for assault and check welfare.’ I told him he needed to find and secure the firearm so an AFO could bag it. He nodded and sensibly grabbed a mate before heading back the way I’d come.

Me and Guleed advanced cautiously up the ramp – there was a short corridor at the top with entrances to the public toilets.

‘They didn’t stop,’ said Guleed.

‘Where’s Nightingale?’ I asked.

‘Back at the café,’ she said. ‘Dealing with something Falcon.’

Presumably whoever had been throwing the crimson smoke around.

We navigated the corridor and looked out onto a long, wide room filled with flat screen televisions lined up like the suspiciously convenient cover in a third person shooter. It was empty of staff and customers and Guleed said that Stephanopoulos had moved her troops in from the other side as soon it all went pear-shaped.

‘We should have a security perimeter,’ said Guleed, which meant that Reynard and Lesley were somewhere in there amongst the Panasonics and Toshibas.

‘Was that really Lesley?’ asked Guleed.

‘Large as life,’ I said. ‘And twice as beautiful.’

‘How is that possible?’

‘You grab Reynard,’ I said. ‘I’ll grab Lesley and then we can ask her.’

Which is what we in the business call an operational plan.

‘Okay,’ said Guleed. ‘Slow and quiet, or fast and loud?’

‘Loud,’ I said.

So we marched out amongst the televisions bold as brass, although both of us had our batons resting on our shoulders and left arms extended in the recommended manner. Around us the big LCDs showed Jeremy Kyle getting self-righteous with Sharon and Darren, although a couple near the end of a row were showing Alpha and Omega 2. I couldn’t tell which was worse.

‘Lesley,’ I shouted. ‘You know how this works, you know you’ve lost your opportunity to escape, so you might as well put the fox down and show yourself.’

Guleed snorted quietly.

‘Come on, Lesley – do us a favour.’

A couple of uniforms appeared in the archway opposite, but Guleed signalled them to stay put. Others took up positions at the remaining exits. Near the centre of the room where the aisles from one exit to another formed a crossroad was an old fashioned jukebox, which I noticed wasn’t turned on. As we approached the centre, me and Guleed let the distance between us widen. I swear I could almost hear Lesley breathing.

In the corner to my left I noticed that one of the TVs was off. So was its power indicator and that of the Bluray player below it.

‘Hey, Peter,’ called Lesley from behind the TV. ‘Heads up.’