He tuts and scratches his knackers as he gets out the car, his mind made up.

I think my heart’s going to fucking burst.

I wait until Ellis is inside number 5, then I open the door and walk up the stairs.

The house is quiet and stinks of smoke and dope.

I tap on her door at the top of the stairs.

She comes to the door looking like a Red Indian, her dark hair and skin covered in a film of sweat, like she’s just been fucking and fucking for real.

The nights I’ve dreamt about her.

‘You can’t come in. I’m working.’

‘There’s been another.’

‘So?’

‘You can’t stay round here.’

‘So how about your place?’

‘Please,’ I whisper.

‘You going to make an honest woman of me, are you Mr Policeman?’ ‘I’m serious.’

‘So am I. I need money.’

I pull out notes, screwing them up in her face.

‘Yeah?’

‘Yeah,’ I nod.

‘What about a ring, Prince Bobby?’

I sigh and start to speak.

‘One like you gave your wife.’

I look at the carpet, the stupid flowers and birds woven together under my feet.

I look up and Janice slaps me once.

‘Piss off, Bob.’

‘Fucking give him up!’

‘Piss off!’

Ellis pushes her head back, banging it against the wall. Tuck off!’

‘Come on, Karen,’ I say. ‘Just tell us where he is and we’re away.’

‘I don’t fucking know.’ She’s crying and I believe her.

We’ve been at this now for over six hours and DC Michael Ellis wouldn’t know the fucking truth if it walked up and smacked him in the gob, so he walks up to Karen Burns, white, twenty-three, convicted prostitute, drug addict, mother of two, and smacks her in the gob instead.

‘Easy Mike, easy,’ I hiss.

She falls away against her wallpaper, sobbing and angry.

Ellis tugs at his balls. He’s hot, fucked off, and bored and I know he wants to pull down her pants and give her one.