‘Hey, I was just having a quiet drink on my way home. You’re a bonus.’

Jack took a deep dusty breath and roared. His feet scrambled and he pushed his knees into the dirt, trying to find purchase.

‘Don’t bother,’ I said, booting him in the butt, sending him flat again in a rough face plant. ‘I won’t hesitate to shoot you.’

I pulled out my mobile phone, and called the number of the police communication centre, D24. ‘Senior Detective Antigone Pollard here. I’ve got an offender down outside the Commercial Hotel in Deception Bay. Request immediate assistance.’ I gave the location.

Several minutes later, the flash of blue and red strobe lights appeared over a rise in the road and two police vehicles skidded to a halt beside me. One marked police car containing Jane and Randall, the station youngsters. One unmarked police sedan containing Warren Harvey—or Wozza to all who knew him—a senior detective and my new partner. Wozza threw the door open and climbed out. In the car’s headlights, I could see the stains on his tie. Shirt not ironed.

‘Jeez, Pollard, what’d you do to the guy?’

‘Headbutt. Judo.’

Wozza looked down at Jack. ‘You’re like the fucken Karate Kid.’

I shrugged.

Wozza looked at my work admiringly. ‘I must’ve been away the day they taught that at the academy.’

Not surprising. Wozza was away the day they taught quite a few things. Still, he’d proven a decent partner in the months we’d worked together.

He wrapped a beefy hand around Jack’s arm and hauled him to his feet.

Jack’s nose was swollen. Tomorrow he’d look like a panda. His clothes were covered in dust and his mouth set in a sneer. ‘You just wait, bitch,’ he hissed. ‘I’ll get you when you least expect it.’

I was a little surprised. They didn’t usually talk back like this. Ever since I was a little kid taking judo classes, boys were generally mute in defeat, afraid you’d rub it in. Jack was different. Alpha male, probably.

Wozza opened the back door of the police car, put his hand on Jack’s head and pushed him into the rear seat. He was about to close the door when I stepped forward and nudged his arm.

‘Need a minute,’ I said.

‘No worries.’ He took a couple of discreet steps away, but I could tell he was listening.

I leaned into the doorway of the car. ‘Coming after me, are you?’ There was steel in my voice. Jack’s flinch was almost imperceptible, but I saw it.

‘Yes.’ His voice had lost some of its vehemence.

‘Good to know.’ I paused. ‘Fair to warn you, though—you come after me, and I’ll come after you, only you won’t see me coming.’

Jack’s eyes widened. ‘Look, I was only joking …’

I didn’t blink. ‘Me too,’ I said.