Then she’d go to the garage behind the pub and take the motorbike for a spin. She planned to visit several locations, including the home of her first victim so she’d know exactly where to go later. Then she’d return to the hotel to do some more research before getting ready and going to work.

She wanted the first hit to go smoothly in order to impress the client, who was clearly paying Carlos Cruz a significant amount of money over and above the half million she was going to get.

Since the meeting in the pub she hadn’t given much thought to Roy Slack, although he did strike her as someone who was past his prime.

She knew how powerful and ruthless he was from the many online news stories. But she’d sensed in his eyes an expression at odds with a demeanour that reeked of malevolence.

She had seen the same look in the eyes of a few ageing cartel bosses when they were suddenly confronted with the grim truth that they were mortal after all.

She had no idea what was behind Slack’s decision to embark on a killing spree that in her opinion would achieve very little other than creating a pile of blood-soaked corpses.

It was the kind of thing they did in Mexico, usually as an act of revenge against rivals or groups of people who spoke out against them.

So perhaps it was revenge that was motivating Roy Slack. The truth was she would probably never know. But as long as she got paid for her services she really didn’t care.

18

Laura

It was 3pm and Kate Chappell and I were on our way to Roy Slack’s business HQ in Rotherhithe. A team of uniformed officers were in a van behind us. We knew that Slack was there because he’d been under surveillance since this morning.

We were armed with a warrant to search the premises and seize his phone and any computers. We’d also obtained warrants to search his flat and the homes and offices of other villains who we reckoned might be responsible for the death threats.

It’d be the second time in a week that the police had descended on Slack’s place, and for that reason I wasn’t optimistic about finding any incriminating evidence.

But Drummond had told us that it would be enough at this stage just to get a sense of whether he knew something.

‘And use it as an excuse to mark his card,’ Drummond had said. ‘Tell him that his days are numbered and he’ll soon be following Harry Fuller into the dock at the Old Bailey. In other words do your best to unnerve him.’

We were dropping in unannounced, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be expecting us. It was quite possible that he’d already been tipped off that we were coming and was therefore prepared.