‘Lauren Weston,’ she repeated. ‘I’m just trying to find Lauren Weston.’

Liam came towards her and Sasha stepped back, felt the hard bulk of the stacked boxes behind her. As a police officer, she had been given self-defence training, but she didn’t stand a chance against this very big, very angry man, who looked strung out on something.

‘Liam.’ Panic rising in his voice, the other guy tried to calm his friend. ‘She’s just some random bitch, dude, you need to dial it down.’

‘She’s seen what we’re doing, bruv, she’s gonna run out of here and then the pigs will be on us in minutes.’ His hands clapped together with a loud smack. ‘In seconds.’

‘I’m looking for someone.’ All she could do was repeat it again and again. ‘If she’s not here, I’ll go.’

Liam snatched the bag from her shoulder, and started rifling through it.

‘Give that back, please,’ Sasha told him and held out her hand, but he was already pulling items out. Her notebook and pen, a tampon, a lipstick, a tube of concealer, keys. Her phone clattered to the floor. He snatched her purse from the bag, and took the few notes inside, then threw it on the floor with the rest of Sasha’s belongings. Then he found her warrant card and held it in front of her face.

‘I knew it.’

He threw it at the other man in triumph.

‘That’s right.’ Sasha made her face a mask of anger, trying to conceal the very real fear she had that this guy was at any moment going to assault her, or worse. ‘I’m Detective Inspector Sasha Dawson of Essex Police and if you touch me, if you lay a single finger on me, Liam, you will go to prison.’

He jabbed a finger in her face. ‘You’re police.’

‘Step back,’ she commanded and looked urgently towards the man at the door. ‘Tell your friend to move back before this goes any further.’

In the back of her mind, Sasha registered that the music had turned off. Other faces appeared at the door. ‘What’s going on?’

Sasha appealed to them. ‘If any harm comes to me, officers will be straight here to arrest every single one of you, and I guarantee that they will turn this place upside down. I’m looking for a woman called Lauren Weston. That’s all I want to do – find Lauren.’

But Liam grabbed the lapels of her jacket. Sasha was lifted off her feet and her shoulders slammed against the boxes. Stars exploded in her vision and she felt her knees buckle, more from shock than anything else, but then her feet landed back on solid ground as Liam was dragged back.