Bailey swallowed. This was not good.

She shook her head. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

Nancy paused and scrutinised Bailey with a curious frown. ‘You’re protecting him. Why?’

Bailey tried to control her breathing, tried to remain calm. The Molloys might end up killing her, but there was no way she was going to concede the slightest piece of information that might help them kill Jennifer as well.

Nancy sighed. ‘I don’t know why you’re protecting him… but you are. For some reason. Not to worry. We will find out. We’ll find out everything. That’s because instead of killing you straight away, we’re going to torture you until you tell us everything you know. And then we’re going to kill you. Because you’re a cop. Then we’re going to kill Mister Snigiss. But as for the torture, it’s your choice. You could save yourself a whole lot of pain and discomfort if you tell me right now. If you do, we’ll make your death quick and relatively painless.’

‘I don’t know anything,’ said Bailey.

Nancy sighed. ‘I had a feeling you’d say that. Oh well, have it your own way. I’m sure Archie here will be able to extract the information we need.’

Archie tilted his head at her and grinned his death’s-head smile, displaying his brown rotten teeth. All that Bailey could see were the miniature reflections of herself trapped in the shiny black lenses of his large wraparound sunglasses.

All the while she’d been talking with the Molloys, one small cool-headed part of Bailey’s mind had been monitoring their physical juxtaposition, mentally choreographing the most appropriate jiu-jitsu moves to try and get her out of this situation. All she needed to do was get out from behind this table and get through that main door and make a run for it.

She realised that it was now or never. And with that her body unleashed a colossal dose of adrenaline into her system. Instantly, everything slowed right down. Every tiny detail suddenly became super-enhanced. In a bizarre way, it made her feel calm, in control, even though that couldn’t be further from the truth right now.

Below the table, very gently, very subtly, she removed her feet from her heels.

She took a deep breath, tensing slightly…

Then, in a single sharp movement, she twisted sideways, brought up her knees so her feet were on the seat, then, using them as leverage, jettisoned herself upwards.

Standing upright on the seat, she pushed herself away from the wall to launch herself across the top of the table in an attempt to escape from the booth, the plate with her warrant card skittering off the table to smash on the floor.

Shane, his eyes widening, made a lunge for her, but he was too slow, his hands closing on thin air where her ankle had been a fraction of a second earlier. Archie, slightly faster, swiped at her leg, knocking her off balance. She spun around atop the table and then crashed sideways through the flimsy paper screen into the neighbouring booth, landing heavily on the table there.