Gina shivered as she wedged her office door open to try and disperse the condensation. Two cups sat on her desk, both containing the dried-up dregs of coffee from earlier. She switched the computer on and removed her damp coat. The interview with Mrs Lenton had added nothing new to the evidence they already had. Nothing that would help them catch this man and find Deborah. It did seem that Luke and his family were being stalked, but by who?

She couldn’t shake off what she and Wyre had discussed before. This person was most certainly dangerous. Luke had been warned, and he had her number should the man return, but were they doing enough? Before the cuts, they would have offered Luke regular checks by PCs, but the money just wasn’t there.

Gina grabbed her phone and dialled PC Smith. ‘Smith, could we organise a regular drive-by past the Jenkinses’ house? Yes, get it out on the briefing system.’ She paused to listen. ‘I know you’re busy. I know and understand, it’s the Christmas season and you’re all busy. Please, make it happen.’ She paused. ‘Thank you.’ If something happened to the family and she hadn’t done everything in her power to protect them, she’d never forgive herself. She shuddered at the thought. Something was off, she could sense it; they could all sense it.

O’Connor tapped the door and walked in. ‘You’ll be happy to know that I did some training this morning. I cycled to the station.’

‘You only live a mile away and the ground is flat,’ Gina replied.

‘It was piss easy though. Do one mile, you can do hundreds.’ He placed a file on her desk.

Gina opened it. ‘Well collated.’

‘Thanks, ma’am.’ Gina scanned the information in front of her. ‘It looks like we have forty-three businesses that fit the brief in the area. Only twelve are operating and they are all farms that would be entitled to use red diesel. Eight of them farm animals and four farm vegetable matter, mostly asparagus and grains.

‘Twelve is a manageable number, although I would like a drop-in on the other thirty-one that are not classed as operational at the moment. You never know. Our perp could have a business that is no longer going but could still have access to red diesel. And we can’t discount the fact that some of these people might also be selling the odd bit of red diesel for their own gain. That would increase the legwork big time, so I hope it isn’t the case. Start with the working farms and then move out to the others. Keep me posted all the way.’

‘Will do. We’re short on PCs but I’ll do my best,’ O’Connor replied.

‘I know how hard it is,’ said Gina. ‘I’ve already put on Smith today. If the PCs can’t go to them all, we’ll need to. Go with Wyre and get this done quickly. We need to find Deborah.’ Gina closed the file and placed her hand on her stomach as it grumbled. She looked up at O’Connor. ‘Sorry, no breakfast.’

‘I’ll get on to the farms. It would be good for us to get out there too. We need to work hard on this one. If it takes all day, I’m in it for the duration, whatever the time,’ O’Connor replied. ‘By the way, Mrs O has made a Herman cake. It’s in the kitchen. Go get a slice, you sound like you could do with some food.’

Gina smiled. ‘What the hell is Herman cake? Is it a cake made of Hermans?’

‘It’s a Herman the German friendship cake. She spent days bubbling up some yeast mix on the worktop and she somehow turned it into cake. The house stinks of the stuff.’

As he left, Gina checked her phone. Still no word from Hannah.

Jacob entered, tapping on the doorframe. ‘A long day ahead it is then. Farms to visit, leads to follow.’

‘Don’t make any plans. I’ve learned not to make plans, saves letting people down.’ Gina stared down at the floor, deep in thought.

‘You alright, guv?’

She nodded. ‘Just being silly. My daughter’s on one with me at the moment.’

‘She’ll come round, I’m sure.’

‘You don’t know my daughter. I’ve let her down so many times. Most other nans probably babysit occasionally or visit regularly. Me, I arrange for them to come over, or for me to go and visit them, and I inevitably end up letting them down.’ Gina felt a lump in her throat. ‘I should be seeing more of my granddaughter.’

‘Not many people understand the demands of the job. No one cares that we’re understaffed or that a major crime has just come in. You do a cracking job. I mean look at me – most of my relationships last a month, max. They get fed up of not being able to go out on weekends or evenings. They get fed up when you leave in the middle of a date. Balancing the job and relationships, it’s a tricky one. Not all of us can find a husband or wife like O’Connor’s. She certainly is one in a million.’

‘She certainly is.’ Gina paused. ‘I’ve tried my best to be a good mother.’

‘Listen to me, guv, you are a good mother. You rid the streets of dangerous people, the same streets that your granddaughter will be out on in a few short years. When that little girl is old enough to understand how cool her nanny is, you’re going to be her hero.’

Gina smiled. ‘Oh, you’re smooth, Jacob.’

‘I heard something like that on the TV – Jeremy Kyle, maybe. Those words aren’t mine. And tell anyone about what I said and I’ll blankly deny it, especially the Jeremy Kyle bit. Right, moving on. It sounds weird, Herman sourdough cake? I hear it’s good.’

Gina laughed and nodded. She knew why she loved the job so much. Yes, it was satisfying to catch the bad guys, but it was also about the comradeship, the police family. ‘Quick piece of cake and back to work,’ she said. ‘A starving body equals a poor mind.’

‘Who said that?’ Jacob asked.

‘Me, I think, unless I just heard it.’

‘Grab one of your mouldy cups. I hear mould tastes good with coffee.’

‘Who said that?’ Gina asked.

‘Me. I always drink my coffee with mould in it and look how healthy I am. Police perk.’ Jacob coughed, pulled a tissue out of his pocket and spat in it.

Gina pulled a mock grimace. ‘I’m heading to the Jenkinses’ in a short while, so I’ll catch up with you later. Get on to the farms and bring me good news.’