‘Sorry about the other day,’ he said. ‘I hope you understand.’

‘To be honest, apart from the horrific headache, it’s kind of a blank in my memory.’

‘Yeah, well that’s scopolamine for you.’

‘Did I answer your questions correctly?’

Rick was silent for a few moments, staring at her with a characteristically inscrutable expression.

‘We were interrupted unfortunately. By your plumber. But the fact you were willing to undergo the experience is what counts.’

Was he being honest with her? Or was this just the entrée to some further test or trap?

Shifting uncomfortably in the car seat, she suppressed her misgivings and attempted to project a confident front.

‘I’m presuming you didn’t invite me here just so we could admire the countryside,’ she said, nodding at the flat featureless fields on either side of the busy A-road.

He smiled. ‘As I mentioned previously, the transaction will take place on the ninth of March. I’ll provide you with the location on the day itself. It’ll be a safe neutral indoors location. All you need to do is bring the paperwork.’

Paperwork. Cash.

‘Seven fifty. As agreed,’ she said. ‘And the merchandise?’

‘After we’ve checked the paperwork and we’re happy with it, then we’ll bring in the merchandise in a truck and hand you the keys. Sound good?’

Bailey shook her head. ‘Uh-uh. That’s not the way I normally do things. I’ll have a man with the paperwork. He’ll bring it to the location but he’ll keep it outside in the car. One of your men will go outside to check it. In the meantime, you’ll have the merchandise inside for me to check. If I’m happy with it, then I’ll go outside and give the nod to my man to hand the paperwork over to your man. And then I’ll go back inside and you’ll hand me the keys to the truck.’

Rick eyed her silently. She was fairly sure he wouldn’t try and pull a fast one on her, but with ruthless Machiavellian people like this you could never be quite sure. The way he’d originally planned it left too much margin for him to double-cross her, take the cash and potentially kill her as well in order to limit any comeback.

And she was certain he was well aware of that. If she was as professional as she was trying to make out, then he’d expect her to push back. Not doing so could flag her as an amateur who was asking to be screwed over… or an undercover cop.

After a short, tense silence, Rick broke into a mirthless smile.

‘Okay. We’ll do it your way if it makes you feel better.’

She nodded slowly, satisfied with the arrangements, tentatively congratulating herself on sealing the final elements of the deal. It seemed like everything was going to plan. She was about to say goodbye and get out of the car when Rick’s phone rang.

He answered it. Bailey couldn’t quite make out the voice on the other end.