In the faint hiss of static over the phone, she sensed that Frank detected the lacklustre tone in her voice. After all, he knew her well.

‘It’s a job that requires a woman’s touch,’ he said.

‘Come on, Frank, you know I’m not that much of a pushover. Don’t try to flatter me.’ But secretly she knew she’d be climbing the walls if she spent much longer cooped up inside studying. Being on a new undercover job would provide a welcome break from the books and, after all, it was the only thing that really got her adrenaline going. She took a deep breath. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘I’m listening…’

‘I can’t talk about it over the phone. When can you come in?’

3

‘I don’t think the cleaners have got back from holiday yet,’ said Frank by way of apology as he and Bailey passed by a half-eaten chocolate Yule log lying at the end of a bank of desks.

It was Boxing Day and the office was more or less deserted. A few sad-looking Christmas decorations hung from the ceiling and some bits of stringy tinsel were draped along the top of a few of the computers, a meagre counterpoint to the gallery of criminals staring back at her sullenly from the numerous mugshots pinned to the walls.

‘Have you cleared this job with my CID detective sergeant?’ she asked.

‘I left a message on his answerphone but he hasn’t got back to me yet. I can’t imagine there’ll be any problems though.’

Undercover work was something Bailey did alongside her routine job as a detective constable, and whenever Frank wanted her to participate in one of his undercover operations he had to obtain approval from her superiors.

‘I did manage to get through to the psychologist though,’ he said. ‘The normal checks. Y’know. Just as a matter of course.’

‘Oh yeah?’ murmured Bailey apprehensively. ‘What did she say?’

Frank glanced over his shoulder at her. ‘She told me you passed your most recent psychological evaluation. She said you were fit for work.’

‘That’s reassuring.’

‘Unless you’ve been deceiving her somehow?’ he said, with an enquiring glint in his eye.

Bailey evaded his gaze slightly. ‘I’m glad you called me. I’m looking forward to starting a new job.’

‘You’ve already agreed to do it and you haven’t even heard what it is yet.’

She followed him through to a small meeting room off to the side of the main office. He opened the door and bade her enter. She’d been expecting the meeting to be just her and Frank, but to her surprise there was someone else in the room.

Lounging back in a chair with one leg crossed over his knee was a face she recognised from the distant past. He was tall, athletic, with a square jaw, blonde hair, blonde eyebrows and striking blue eyes which now observed her intently with a cool, measured calm. At the sight of him, Bailey felt her breath momentarily catch in her throat and her knees go a little weak.