News was breaking of two shooting incidents in Balham, which had taken place within minutes of each other. In one incident on Balham High Road two police officers had been shot and it was believed that one of them had been killed.

The other incident took place at a house close by and one person was apparently gunned down. However, the victim hadn’t yet been identified and it wasn’t known how serious his or her injuries were.

There was no footage as yet from either scene but a reporter, speaking over the phone while on his way to Balham, said, ‘A police source has told me that the shootings are already being linked to the threats against members of Scotland Yard’s organised crime task force and the murders of detective Dave Prentiss and Mrs Marion Nash, the wife of another detective on the force.’

Rosa felt her spirits lift with the news that one of the bullets she had fired into the darkened kitchen at Laura Jefferson’s house had found a target.

Was it the detective herself or her boyfriend? She would have to wait to find out.

But in the meantime she could console herself with the knowledge that the mission hadn’t been an unmitigated disaster after all.

43

Laura

We made it to the hospital in good time despite the traffic snarl-ups.

Aidan was rushed straight into surgery where a trauma team went to work on him.

I was told that his condition was serious but not life-threatening.

It came as such a huge relief that I broke down again and cried into the shoulder of one of the two armed officers who were sent to provide me with protection.

He led me into a private waiting room and told me that my colleagues from the task force were on their way. He wasn’t able to tell me if the shooter had been apprehended, though.

I sat on a small leather sofa and drew my legs up to my chest, hugging my arms around my knees. My body was still shaking and it felt like I was under water, struggling for breath.

At the same time I became aware of a dull ache in my stomach, which I assumed was the muscles contracting.

I turned my thoughts to my mother and I was so glad she’d gone to Ringwood this morning. But I now faced the task of telling her before she heard it on the news. And then, of course, there were Aidan’s parents in Spain. They also needed to be informed that their son had been shot by a sadistic contract killer.

I’d had the presence of mind to pick up my bag before I left the house. My mobile phone was inside with the Taser gun. I took it out but had to wait for my tears to dry up before making the calls.