‘Your identity will remain secret of course,’ Frank continued. ‘Only Dale and I will be aware of your true identity. We’ll keep this operation very tightly insulated in order to minimise any potential breach of security or accidental leaks. And we’ll set up the usual operational emergency security protocols, including a fake company you can call should anything go seriously amiss; your call will be patched through directly to me.’

Getting her head around everything she’d just been told, Bailey looked up at Frank with a frown as she suddenly remembered something.

‘Frank, I thought the reason I was here was because this job required a feminine touch. Buying a large amount of guns isn’t the kind of thing you’d normally associate with a woman. Quite the opposite in fact.’

‘Remember I mentioned Nancy Molloy?’ said Dale.

Bailey turned her attention to him. ‘You said she was a formidable character.’

Dale nodded. ‘Although it’s Rick who officially runs things, the real power behind the throne is Nancy, the matriarch. According to Adrian, Rick defers to her completely. If he’s the CEO, then you can think of her as the Non-Executive Director.

‘As a matter of course, he runs all new business past her first, to let her sound it out. A lot of people fall at that first hurdle, some of them permanently, if you know what I’m saying. She’s one reason why we’ve never really managed to penetrate their organisation. She has an uncanny knack of being able to sniff out cops. It must be the criminal blood running through her veins – her father was an old-school blagger back in the sixties, so she’s got a criminal pedigree of her very own, and that includes an inbuilt aversion to the police.

‘The thing is, though, Adrian told me that Nancy always regretted not having a daughter. Two sons but no daughter. And he also said that she respects strong women, being one herself – remember, she ran the Molloy organisation all on her own for a good few years after Arthur’s death.’

Bailey saw the pieces falling into place now. ‘So even though Adrian’s vouching for me from beyond the grave, they’re still going to stick me in front of Nancy to see if I make the cut. But you think the fact that I’m a woman playing a man’s role will work in my favour. And you think there’s also scope to play up the daughter angle at some point.’

‘You’ve got it in one, Bailey,’ said Frank with an approving smile.

‘This operation will require a certain amount of psychological finesse,’ Dale added. ‘The stakes are very high and the deeper you go, and the further you gain their trust, the riskier it’ll become as they’ll have more to lose. Only someone at the very top of their game will be able to manage a job like this.’

Bailey realised it was a veiled compliment. She wouldn’t be here if they’d thought she wouldn’t be able to handle it. She blushed a little.