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‘Where are you?’ asked William.

‘Walking along the north side of Piccadilly,’ replied Rebecca. ‘The suspect is about forty yards ahead of me and keeps looking back.’

‘That’s because he suspects someone might be following him. AC1 and 2 are already on their way and should be with you in minutes. Just make sure you don’t lose sight of him.’

‘Where are you, AC1?’ said William, flicking a switch.

‘Rounding Hyde Park Corner, sir. Can’t risk turning on my siren as it would alert him, but we should still be there in a couple of minutes.’

‘AC2?’ snapped William.

‘Just passing St James’s Church, heading west along Piccadilly. ETA three minutes. Also no siren or lights.’

‘Rebecca?’

‘He’s just passing the Athenaeum Hotel but I think he’s spotted me.’

‘Hardly surprising,’ said William. ‘He’ll assume someone’s out there. Remember, he’ll be a master at losing them, and the darkness is in his favour, but keep going.’

‘AC1,’ said a voice. ‘I can see Sergeant Pankhurst but haven’t identified the suspect yet.’

‘Forty yards ahead of me, thirty, thirty-five, smart double-breasted suit, walking quickly,’ said Rebecca.

‘Got him,’ said AC1 as the suspect disappeared underground.

‘He’s gone into Green Park tube station,’ said Rebecca. ‘Do I follow him?’

‘No,’ said William, ‘he’ll have shed you before you reach the bottom step. Cross the road and keep out of sight, because it’s still a fifty-fifty chance he’ll come back out on the other side in a couple of minutes’ time.’ He paused to think, then said, ‘Paul?’

‘Sir,’ came Paul Adaja’s immediate reply.

‘Green Park is on the Victoria, Piccadilly and Jubilee lines. Call the control director and ask him to shut down all trains going in either direction and to keep the passenger doors closed until I give the all-clear.’

‘On it, sir.’

William moved on. ‘Jackie, I need every officer on duty in the Piccadilly area to get themselves over to Green Park sharpish.’

‘I’ve got seven of them already on their way, sir,’ came the quick response.

‘You were right, sir,’ said Rebecca, as she watched a familiar figure emerge from the station. ‘The suspect has just come out of Green Park on the south side and is heading towards the nearest bus stop. He keeps looking across the road.’

‘He wants to make sure he’s shaken you off. But looking for you,’ said William, ‘gives you a slight advantage, but only slight. He’ll take the first available bus and get off at the next stop – when we have to be waiting for him, otherwise we’ll never see him again.’ He flicked a switch. ‘AC1, where are you?’

‘On the wrong side of the road, sir, heading east – and because of the barrier, I can’t turn back until I reach the lights by the Ritz, so I’ve lost a couple of minutes.’

‘AC2?’

‘I’m just passing Fortnum’s, sir,’ came back the reply. ‘I can see three double-decker buses ahead of me, should reach Green Park in about a minute, no more.’

‘He’s getting on the number nine bus,’ interrupted Rebecca, ‘and going upstairs.’

‘Join him,’ ordered William, ‘but stay on the lower deck.’

‘Jackie?’

‘The number nine is on its way to Kensington,’ she replied, ‘and will be heading towards Hyde Park Corner.’

‘I’m on the bus, and it’s now on the move,’ said Rebecca. ‘He’s still on the top deck. What next?’