“No, it’s not.” They’d last used it a few days earlier – before Tony’s death had changed everything – to listen for chatter while Dom was setting up a dog-fight, to make sure the pigs hadn’t been waiting to jump in. They hadn’t been; retard or not, Dom was always careful setting things up. “They’re doing it.”

Keira made to speak, then subsided.

“You saw what they did at Wakeman,” said Liz, “and you’ve heard what they did at the Bell. Wasn’t fairy stories did that, Keira Lucas. Not me going mad. Or d’you think I sneaked out last night and did it?”

“No,” Keira said at last.

“Well, then.”

“Can’t get the pigs on scanner anyway, now,” said Paul. “They’re all encrypted and shit.”

“Doesn’t matter,” said Liz. “No bugger’s talking to anyone, that’s the point. Now,” she turned back to Keira, “something’s out there. You admit that? Not robbers, ‘cos they took nothing. Not some gang, cos they’d’ve come after us, fucked with something we gave a shit about. Yeah?”

“All right, but Liz – even still, shooting at the pigs?”

“Tell you what,” said Liz. “Pigs come round, say you were a hostage too. Tried to stop us, but we tied you up. We’ll all say the same.”

And Keira would be out if she did, and nowhere else to go. Liz saw her looking to Frank and was proud to see the stone face he showed; when you came down to it, Frank always put blood first.

Keira shook her head. “No. Whatever needs doing, I’ll do it.”

“Good girl,” said Liz, and meant it. She’d have broken Keira if she’d had to, but the girl was loyal. She might not be a Harper by blood, but she was in every other way. This had tested her, but she’d stick. Long enough to see all Liz said was true.

The scanner crackled and squealed. Liz gestured, and Paul switched it off. “They won’t be calling any of their pig mates in,” she said. “So it’ll just be Cheetham and Tom Graham, and he’s about as much use as a concrete parachute. Maybe a few locals, if they’re feeling hard enough. Nothing we can’t handle till it’s dark. And after that –” Liz pictured Ellie Cheetham’s face when she saw what she was really up against, right before she died, and smiled “– they’ll have a sight more than us to worry about.”

She looked at the others, daring them to challenge her. No-one did.

“What about those two, then?” Keira motioned to the kitchen door.