Andrews protested, said:

‘No, he’s promised and it only happened because he was shot. Normally he’s a fun guy’

Falls let it go, asked:

‘Was there anything else? The work I’m doing is vital to the safety of London.’

Andrews looked at Falls’s face, the bitterness appalled her and she thought that maybe she should have listened to Brant. She began to move away, said:

‘Well, if you need anything?’

Falls said:

‘Need? What could I possibly need? My cup overfloweth.’

It was late in the evening, Brant was standing outside the station, dragging deep on a cig. Falls approached, asked:

‘Sarge, got a minute?’

He looked at his watch, she noticed it was a Rolex and probably not a fake, he said:

‘59 seconds and counting.’

She had considered many different ways of couching her request but decided to go the direct route, said:

‘I need a knuckle-duster.’

He was delighted, gave her his full attention, said:

‘Gee, aren’t they illegal?’

She knew she’d have to dance, so tried:

‘I’ll owe you, of course.’

He flicked the cig high in the air, watched the lit curve, then said:

‘Course you’ll owe me, you already do.’

And he strode off without another word. She didn’t know if that meant okay or go fuck yourself or what. The constant dilemma with Brant, never knowing how he’d jump, the only certainty was he’d use the information to his own advantage.

Lunchtime the following day she’d returned to her desk in the basement after a lame lunch in the canteen, a low-fat yoghurt and black tea. Sitting on her desk was a McDonald’s burger box. She thought, Andrews. Would it be a Big Mac or a cheeseburger, and more to the point, would she be able to resist it? She’d have to have a word with the woman, tell her to stop laying temptation in her path. Sitting down, she flicked open the tab and there, sitting on a burger bun, a fresh lettuce leaf adorning it, was a well-used knuckleduster. The irony of the brand-name on the box and the object inside made her smile for the first time in ages. She marvelled anew at the amount of insight Brant had; He knew stuff before you did yourself. She slipped the weapon into her bag.