He checked his missed calls and text messages. Frank Piper had phoned and so had Clive Miller, two of his top lieutenants. But they hadn’t left messages or voicemails.

His mole inside the task force had left a message, though, and it answered a question that had been bugging him.

It was me who tipped off the team as soon as we were cut off. Glad they got there in time.

Slack: How did you know what Marsden was going to do?

Mole: Overheard him talking on phone. Pure luck.

Slack then opened the next text message, which had come from Jasmine.

Tried to call you babe. Been so worried. If you want me to come straight over just say the word.

But sex was the last thing on his mind, and he didn’t want her company because although she was a tasty piece of arse she was also as thick as two planks.

He just wanted to be alone so that he could drink, smoke and watch the news on the television. There was plenty there to keep him entertained.

He laughed as a shame-faced detective was forced to say that no police officer should take the law into his or her own hands. He cringed at his own ugly mug being interviewed in front of the hospital. And he listened with interest as one newsreader laboured the point that alleged London crime boss Roy Slack had been detained and released no fewer than four times during the past week or so.

He had to laugh. It was like icing on the fucking cake. It would have been enough to hurt the Old Bill with the murders. But now they faced a major self-inflicted scandal that would tarnish them for years to come.

It was an unexpected bonus and well worth the pain he’d suffered at the hands of that maverick detective.

A montage of photos appeared on the screen and his thoughts switched immediately to Rosa Lopez. The photos were of the four people she had killed. Detective Inspector Dave Prentiss, Marion Nash, the copper shot on Balham High Road, and the Commissioner, John Saunders.

He wondered why he hadn’t heard from her. Maybe she hadn’t seen the news. Or maybe she took the view that as he’d been released it was going to be business as usual.