Blood filled his mouth and he could feel the flesh around his eyes swelling up.

Marsden started shouting at him. ‘There’s worse to come if you don’t speak up you cunt. The pain I’ll inflict will make the cancer seem like a mild irritation.’

Slack managed to lift his chin off his chest and stare up into Marsden’s angry face. He had nothing but contempt for the detective and he thought it a great pity that the guy hadn’t been at the top of Rosa’s list. It was more than likely now that she wouldn’t get around to killing him.

‘You made a big mistake bringing me here, copper,’ he said, and each word propelled a spot of blood from his mouth. ‘It won’t stop the killings and it’s bound to backfire on you big time.’

That earned him another slap around the face. He squeezed his eyes shut and compressed his lips against the pain. His head swam and all he wanted to do was pass out.

He heard Marsden bark an order, but he couldn’t make out the words. He kept his eyes closed and focused on controlling his breathing, which had become shallow and ragged.

Then something hard was pressed against his chest and his eyes flew open.

‘It’s time to get serious,’ Marsden said. ‘I’ll start with the little finger on the right hand and work my way up.’

Slack stared at the object that was being waved in front of his face. It was a large adjustable wrench. He’d used one just like it himself once to snap off the fingers of a villain who had given him problems.

The fear was thick inside him now and he tried to speak, but his throat was paralysed.

‘Let’s untie his hands,’ the detective said. ‘I want him to see what I’m …’

His voice suddenly dried up mid-flow and his body stiffened.

‘Oh, Christ,’ he said, and only then did Slack realise why he was so alarmed.

Familiar sounds were coming from outside. Tyres screeching to a halt. Car doors slamming shut. Raised voices announcing the arrival of the police.

Slack felt a wave of relief flood through him.

‘Looks like your mates have arrived in the nick of time,’ he said, and managed a weak smile even though it hurt like hell.

59

Laura

The news that Roy Slack had been kidnapped was shocking enough. But I experienced an icy shiver when we received a tip from an anonymous caller claiming that detective Tony Marsden was the kidnapper.

The first call alerting us to the abduction came from Slack’s driver, Mike Walker. He rang the three nines after their car was ambushed in Rotherhithe, close to Slack’s headquarters.

Walker claimed that two men had jumped from the back of a van and attacked him before snatching Slack and making off.