“Some of them like nicknames, or soap opera names,” said Carver. “Sadly, not all their parents named them Schuyler, Apple or Chrystal. You say she was involved with Sunny and Faisal and that lot?”

“She said,” Banks corrected him. “You heard the recording. She was Faisal’s girlfriend, and Mimsy was Sunny’s. At first. They groomed them and the others and pimped them. They were all underage.”

“That’s what she says.” Carver snorted.

“Why?” said Banks. “Do you think she was lying?”

“All I’m saying is that sometimes these girls know exactly what they’re getting into, though they might not want it to appear that way to others.”

“She was fourteen years old when it started, for crying out loud.”

“That doesn’t mean a lot round here.”

“It means she’s underage and needs to be protected from people like Sunny and his mates.”

“They’re troublemakers, all of them. If they were going around having sex with older men for money, it was probably because they wanted to. Nobody forced them.”

“That’s a lie,” said Gerry. “And your men have been protecting the very people who groomed and abused them. Maybe they’ve been getting a nice bonus out of it all? What were Reg and Bill doing last Tuesday night?”

“That’s enough, DC Masterson,” said ACC McLaughlin. “One more remark like that and I’ll have you off the case. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir,” said Gerry.

“Anyway,” McLaughlin said. “How do you know the girl didn’t set you up? Lead you into a trap?”

“I’ve thought about that, sir. It just doesn’t make sense. If Jade was setting me up, why make them wait until after she’s spilled the beans before beating me up or whatever they had in mind? She chose the meeting place. Why not tip them off I’d be arriving there so they could intercept me?”

McLaughlin inclined his head. “Good point,” he said.

“And if you heard the recording, sir, I think you’d realize she’s genuine. And she’s scared.”

McLaughlin turned to Carver. “This is a fruitless line of inquiry. There’s no point in further questioning the moral character of the girl. Leave that for the courts. Detective Superintendent Banks was right. No matter what her motive, she’s underage.”

“And she’s been abused,” Annie added.

“Well, what do you expect me to do about it?” Carver asked.

“I wouldn’t have expected anything from you,” Annie said, “but it surprises me you have the gall to ask the question.”

“Don’t you dare speak that way to a superior officer!”

“Superior?” Annie sneered. “That’s a laugh. Pull the other one.”

“Enough, I said,” McLaughlin snapped, glaring at both Annie and Gerry. “I’ve already told you two. Button it before you find yourselves in even more serious trouble than you are already.”