‘Well, it’s a lovely day, right? Perfect spring weather? Anyway, around seven, this middle-aged guy built like a brick shithouse comes out on a little quad bike and feeds the pigs. Nothing much happens for a while, then the back door opens and a woman comes out. Looks like she’s in her late forties. She walks around the yard, taking a good look around her. There’s a lane runs along the side of the yard and she sticks her head over the fence, like she’s checking if it’s all clear. Then she goes back in the house and comes out with this little girl. I had my binoculars with me, and I could see straight off it was Marlene’s kid. I couldn’t believe my luck. Anyway, the woman is holding Tanja by the hand, then she lets her go, and I can see she’s got a rope tied round the little girl’s waist. The kid tries to run off, but she gets yanked off her feet before she’s gone a dozen yards. The woman walks her round the yard for ten minutes like a dog on a lead, then picks her up and carries her back indoors.’

‘You’re sure this was Tanja?’

The Shark nodded like a man with palsy. ‘I’m telling you, Petra, no mistaking her. I had her photo with me, just to be on the safe side. It was Tanja. No messing.’ He gave her an eager grin.

Petra shook her head, hardly able to believe that the bone she’d thrown to keep him quiet had given them so much to chew on. Much as she had come to respect Carol Jordan and the quality of the work she was doing, she still wanted to nail Radecki herself. And it looked as if she might finally have her hand on the lever that would deliver him to her. ‘That’s terrific, Sharkster.’

‘So what do we do now?’ he demanded.

‘We go and see Plesch and decide how we’re going to liberate the kid and take care of Marlene so Krasic and Radecki can’t reach out for her. Well done, kid. I’m impressed.’

It was all he wanted to hear. A grin split his face from ear to ear. ‘It was your idea, Petra.’

‘Maybe. But it was your hard work that made it happen. Come on, Shark. Let’s make Plesch’s day.’

*   *   *