Carlos Cruz, on the other hand, had once got his people to slaughter an entire police unit of twenty men and women because none of them was prepared to take a bribe.

Rosa still couldn’t figure out why Slack thought that what he was doing was a good idea. Surely he would eventually come to his senses and realise that it could only be counter-productive in the long term. Even if the police never discovered that he was the man behind it, the repercussions for the city’s gangs were going to be dramatic.

The TV caught her eye again. The Met Commissioner was back and making a statement outside Scotland Yard.

‘After a meeting with the Home Secretary I would like to dispel rumours that we are prepared to close down the operations of the organised crime task force,’ he said. ‘This will not happen despite the threats that have this morning been made public. The task force is now working with the Murder Investigation Team, the Counter Terrorism Command and the National Crime Agency in a bid to find those who are seeking to scare this great police force of ours into submission.’

Rosa crossed the room and switched off the TV. She’d seen enough. She checked her watch and decided that it was time she went back to work. But before getting dressed she had one call to make and the number was among those on the list in front of her.

When a woman answered, she said, ‘Is that Mrs Marion Nash?’

‘Er, yes. Who’s calling?’

‘It’s the BBC here, Mrs Nash,’ Rosa said. ‘As the wife of one of the detectives on the organised crime task force we wondered if you would care to comment on what is happening.’

‘Oh no. I don’t think I should.’

‘But it’s true, isn’t it, that you also received the text message containing the death threat?’

‘Well, er, yes, but …’

‘Has it prevented you from going to work or carrying on as normal?’

‘No it hasn’t. I’m in work now and I’m busy so I really have to go. Sorry. You should call the police press office.’

Marion Nash hung up and Rosa turned off her own phone and removed the battery. She’d found out what she needed to know. The wife of DCI Graham Nash had shown a degree of courage and defiance by going to work in the bookshop she ran in Clapham.

Sadly for her it would prove to be a costly mistake.

26

Slack

Roy Slack was back in his apartment and he was on a high. The opening notes of his swansong were already reverberating across the city. The reaction was off the scale. Shock. Incredulity. Condemnation.

The Old Bill were feeling the pain and it was only day one. It cheered him to think how much more they would have to endure before this was finally over.