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“Come in, sir.” He got to his feet. “Can I get you some tea?”

“No, no, no time for that.” Halberd looked around the office then his gaze snapped to James. “Had a strange call from my aunt, who lives in Holland Park.”

James perked up right away at that. “Holland Park?”

“I see that means something to you. Explain.”

“Well, the cases that I’m cooperating with the Flying Squad on, with DI Layman, are centered on Holland Park. We believe at least one of the crew that’s involved in these murders and robberies lives there.”

“Well, according to my aunt, a traffic warden just showed up to her door to ask her to give the police a ring because she found an envelope that was from the post office robbery, apparently, and there was a note on the back saying the robbers live opposite my aunt. And some people are being held hostage there. Apparently a friend of one of the hostages also found a similar note and has gone over there to rescue them. The traffic warden is going to try to stop them going in before the police arrive, but isn’t sure she can.” Halberd looked down at a notepad that James finally noticed he was holding.

“Is the traffic warden Gabriella Farnsworth?” James asked.

“You amaze me, Archer. I don’t know that my aunt gave her last name, but Gabriella rings a bell. How did you know?”

“Gabriella Farnsworth’s route is around Holland Park, and she’s been handing in envelopes to the local police that have been blown about on the wind. They’ve turned out to be from the post office robbery. Some of the envelopes she handed in gave the address where that attempted robbery of a jewelry manufacturer’s happened yesterday.” He grabbed his coat from his coat rack.

“I heard someone took a shot at you during that caper,” Halberd said.

“I ducked in time.” James leaned into Hartridge’s office, and found he was already up and putting on his own coat. He must have heard the whole conversation.

“Well the owners, the Walcrofts, who I know socially, are very grateful and impressed with your and Layman’s work.” Halberd stepped out into the passageway with him. “Do you need my aunt’s address?”

“Yes, please, sir. I’ll run up and let Layman know what’s going on, and then head out there.” And Halberd was slowing him down.

Halberd scribbled on his notepad, ripped off the top sheet and handed it over. “I’ll be along in a bit, just to give my aunt some moral support.”

“See you later then, sir.” James nodded then ran for the stairs, Hartridge hot on his heels.

“His aunt?” Hartridge asked, eyes wide.

James shrugged. “At least he came straight down to tell us, and wasn’t at lunch or something.” He reached Layman’s floor and raced to the conference room.

Layman was sitting at his desk, and he got to his feet when he saw James. “What?”

“I don’t have the full story, but Detective Superintendent Halberd got a call from his aunt.” James noted the face Layman made at that. He shrugged. “Apparently Gabriella found another post office robbery envelope, this time with a message on it that gives the Holland Park address of at least one of the members of the gang, and says there are hostages inside. There’s something about someone planning to go in and rescue them, and Gabriella is going to try to stop them, and wants police assistance as fast as possible.”

“Why is Halberd’s aunt phoning this in?” Layman asked, reaching for his coat.

“Because she lives opposite the house where the hostages are being kept.” James leaned down and wrote the address on a piece of paper on Layman’s desk. “This is the aunt’s house. The house in question is opposite, and I’m off. I’ll see you there.”

“I’ll bring as many bodies as I can,” Layman said. “But hang back, Archer, don’t go running in there until we’re all there and have a plan.”

James nodded as he ran from the room, but he wasn’t going to listen to that if he thought Gabriella was in danger.

That’s just how it was.

“I saw Teddy Roe.”

Jerry stood in Sarah’s bedroom doorway, swaying from side to side.

“Who’s Teddy Roe?” Sarah got up and went to look out of her window. She could see a woman with a black umbrella below and then she walked off to the left, around the side of the house and disappeared from view.

Something about her clothes made Sarah think she was in a uniform.

“Teddy Roe’s my mate,” Jerry said. “I told you I’d have people looking for me.”

“I saw a woman in a uniform, but she’s gone round toward the front,” Sarah said.