Declan wound down the window. “So when did detectives start pulling people over for traffic offences?” he asked.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to write you a ticket. We’ve been following you since you left the house because the young lady in the back is the target of a kidnapping threat we received this afternoon. Could you just show me your driving licence, please?”

Declan went into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. As he looked up, something was sprayed into his face. A second later the rear passenger side door flew open, and another man reached in and took Lavender by the arm.

“Come with me or you die where you sit,” he snarled.

As the SUV drove away at speed, Declan rubbed his eyes. He was still blinded and in real pain. He tried to get out of the car by touch only, and when he was standing upright he leaned on the car horn until someone came to his aid.

Chapter 6 3

High Road, Tottenham, North London. 8pm.

Lavender had stopped crying. Dave the safecracker was sitting next to her. He felt rather sorry for the girl and rather wished he hadn’t been so aggressive when he’d taken her. “Come with me or die where you sit” had sounded dramatic when he practiced it in head, but he knew that he would never harm anyone. She, however, didn’t.

Johnny was driving the SUV.

“Those flashing blue lights worked a treat, bro; you’re a bit of a genius on the side, aren’t you?”

Dave enjoyed the praise, especially coming from Johnny who was a full timer in the organisation, whereas Dave had a real job and was only called on from time to time. If Dave’s employers at the engine assembly plant knew he was so adept with explosives, they might be nervous. Dave had promised himself he would never use explosives to hurt anyone. That would make him no better than a terrorist, and he’d seen enough of those in Afghanistan.

Lavender was wearing a blindfold, the kind commonly handed out by airlines to those who want to sleep during a flight. It wasn’t entirely lightproof, but her kidnappers just wanted her disoriented.

“Look at that. The floodlights are all blazing away and they didn’t even play at home today,” Johnny commented as they passed White Hart Lane.

“They only managed a draw. They’ll have to do better than that on Wednesday night or Harry’ll have their guts for garters.”

They decided to change the subject before Lavender could work out where they were. Johnny’s mobile phone rang. He answered at once.

“Yes, we have the package, and no, there were no problems. Why? What happened?” Johnny listened to the reply and a smile crossed his face. “OK, we’ll be there in two minutes.” He hung up.

“Dave, this’ll make you laugh. Three of them went off to Greenwich and only managed to find the girlfriend.”

“Are they bringing her, then?”

“Yes, but the funny part is that she beat two of them up. One had a broken nose and the other thinks he has concussion. England one, Netherlands nil, I think.”

They both laughed as Johnny turned in to Commercial Road and manoeuvred to turn right again into the Tottenham Press car park.

Chapter 6 4

Ashburnham Mews, Greenwich, London. 8.00pm.

I struggled with my key as the hot take away food burned my arm. As soon as I had the front door open I ran up the stairs. I had some unzipping to do.

At first I thought that Dee had left the door open for me, but then I noticed the big black boot print on the door, and the broken lock. It didn’t cross my mind in that moment that I might be in danger if I went inside, and to be honest, even if it had I would still have gone to Dee’s aid. But Dee wasn’t there, and the furniture in front of the TV was out of place.

I remembered that I was holding the take away food and so I went into the kitchen and set it down. I was in a daze. What I was seeing could not be real. I wasn’t thinking clearly and so I shook my head. It made no difference. I splashed cold water on my face and walked around the flat.

Only the lounge was not as I had left it. On TV the detectives could always tell that there had been a struggle; there would be broken lamps, pictures askew, furniture on its side. But here there was nothing of note. The footstool was out of place and the rug had a corner turned over, but nothing seemed wrong otherwise. Yet there was clearly something wrong. Dee wasn’t here, and there seemed to be an atmosphere of danger hanging in the air. The door had obviously been forced open, I had seen that much. My heart started to race as the likelihood of what had taken place began to distil on my senses like dew. I let the thought hang there a moment, still not entirely ready to believe it, and then I pulled myself together and called a number from my speed dial.

“Tom Vastrick.” The voice was strong, bold and comforting. Mine was shaking.

“Tom, I think Dee has been kidnapped from my flat. What should I do?”

For a split second there was silence at the other end as he, too, digested the information, but then his voice reached me, sounding calm and decisive.“Do nothing Josh, I’ll be there in twenty minutes with help.”

***

Tom Vastrick hadn’t been exaggerating. Twenty minutes later two Metropolitan Police squad cars were parked outside, blue lights flashing, and a Scene of Crime van was parked beside them. Curtains twitched as the neighbours looked out at them, obviously wondering what was going on.

A policewoman was sitting in the kitchen with me, having made me some tea. I sat sipping the tea, the aroma from the cooling take away making me hungry, although I no longer had the appetite to eat it.

A policeman came into the kitchen carrying my BlackBerry. “You might want to take this call; it’s the City of London Police.”

I took the phone and held it to my ear. “Hello,” I said weakly.

“Josh, this is Inspector Boniface. I’ve just heard about what happened. Don’t you worry, we’ve got two police forces and Vastrick on this. We’ll get her back, even if I have to pull Hickstead’s toenails out myself.”

“Thanks,” I heard myself saying. “It’s been one hell of a shock, but I want to do whatever I can to help find her.”

The real shock was how deeply I felt the loss. I couldn’t live with the thought that Dee might be hurt, or perhaps worse. The shock did bring with it a sudden realisation; I loved Dee Conrad and would give my life to get her back.

“Josh, you may get a call from Don Fisher,” Boniface added.

“Why?” I was puzzled.

“Lavender has been taken too!”

***

Tom Vastrick arrived fifteen minutes later than he had promised in a car that cost almost as much as my flat. Since receiving my call, he had been busy talking on the phone with two police forces and his own investigative staff. One of their own was missing.

When he came into the room I offered my hand but he ignored it, choosing instead to crush me in a bear hug.

“Josh, Dee is family as far as we’re concerned, and that makes you family, too. Every resource we have will be made available. I should tell you that Dee is also trained for this kind of eventuality, and she will most probably come up with plans of her own to remedy her situation, so try not to worry too much. She’s a very capable girl, as I’m sure you’re aware. Now, we need to get ready for the inevitable contact from the kidnappers. I have people with Don Fisher, too. As soon as these people make contact, we’re going to use every means available to us to track them down, legal or illegal.”

Chapter 6 5

Commercial Road, Tottenham, North London. Friday, 9pm.

The journey from Josh’s flat had been uncomfortable, or at least the part of it she could remember. Dee had woken with a shocking headache to find herself tied up, hooded and lying in the footwell in the rear of the car. Not the best of circumstances to find herself in, she thought, but not irretrievable, either.