And this date? Nothing more than a devious ploy to deliver her into the hands of the Molloys, for he knew she wouldn’t have arranged any kind of police back-up for something as ostensibly innocent as a simple date.

The devastating shock of his betrayal was almost too much for her to grasp and at this moment in time she couldn’t even begin to grapple with the reasons why. She had considerably more pressing concerns on her mind right now. Like how to get out of this situation.

She looked around desperately for a way to escape. But there was no way out. She was trapped in the booth.

Shane sat down next to her, blocking her exit to her left. And then Rick and Archie sat down on her right.

Nancy remained standing, with Stephen by her side. She fixed Bailey with her dark close-set eyes and smiled unpleasantly.

‘It looks like you’ve been served up, my dear,’ she said, nodding at the warrant card.

Bailey stared speechlessly down at it, racking her mind for a solution. The options were looking pretty limited.

In fact, there was only one option.

She looked up at Nancy. ‘I’m not a cop.’

Nancy snorted contemptuously. ‘Do you really expect me to fall for that crap? I know how the undercover Filth operate. Never break cover. That’s what you’re taught, aren’t you?’

‘I swear it,’ said Bailey. ‘There is no way that I am Old Bill.’

‘That warrant card looks like pretty damning evidence to me,’ growled Rick.

Bailey attempted a dismissive shrug. ‘It’s a fake.’

‘It’s a fake,’ mimicked Nancy in a nasty tone. ‘This girl just won’t give up, will she?’

Bailey’s heart hammered in her chest, panic threatening to overwhelm her. They weren’t buying it. But of course they weren’t going to buy it. They weren’t stupid.

Nancy shook her head sadly. ‘Bailey, I’m disappointed in you. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am. I feel hurt more than anything else. Because I actually kind of liked you. And you’ve let me down in a big way.’

‘I am not a copper,’ declared Bailey belligerently, ‘and that warrant card is a fake.’

Inside, she knew that her denials were pointless, but her cover story was all she had and if she gave up on that, then her fate was sealed beyond all doubt.

‘I admire your verve, Bailey Morgan,’ said Nancy, placing particular emphasis on her real surname. ‘And your resourcefulness. You played me well. You really had me going. And I’m angry with myself that I fell for it, for letting you get one over on me.’ Nancy gave Stephen a sideways glance. ‘I should have listened to my boy, Stephen, here. He had his doubts about you right from the very beginning.’

Stephen took a step forward, his eyes filled with a mixture of vitriol and triumph. He leant towards her, placed his hands on the table and spat in Bailey’s face.

Bailey recoiled in shock, blinking the strands of saliva out of her eyes.