destinations to be taken to. When we are all in position, and not before, you each phone the first firm on your list and ask to be taken to the first destination on your list. When the cab turns up, surveillance car number one will follow you every inch of the way. At your destination, you will get out and wait until the cab drives off, then the tailing car will pick you up and take you back to the next phone box, and so on. We've got two cars on stand-by in case anything goes wrong. From time to time we'll swap cars so it won't always be the same one tailing you. But these spare cars have another important function. If, at any time, the tailing car sees that your cab is deviating from where we know you asked to be taken, the other cars will be called in to augment the tail. All clear up to now?'
Nods and murmurs of assent.
'Good. Now, we've got one prime suspect.' He waited while photographs were circulated. 'That's Tom Jackson. Liz arrested him once, so she won't be calling his cab firm. That pleasure goes to you, Polly-If Jackson answers a call, I want both cars to follow, and I want you to be on your guard, Polly. I don't think he's our man, but I've been wrong before, so we don't take any chances.' He jabbed a finger at Detective Sergeant Hanlon who had raised his hand. 'Yes, Arthur?'
'The two cars you've got in reserve, Jack. Wouldn't it be safer if they both tailed the cabs all the time, then if anything happened to one, the other could immediately take over?'
'It would be safer, Arthur, but it might blow the whole operation. At two in the morning there's hardly any traffic on the road. A cab with two cars following its every move could stick out like an eager dick. If our bloke has the slightest suspicion there's something funny going on, he won't play ball.' He turned to Liz Maud who now had her hand up. 'Yes, Liz?'
'When we get in the minicab, do we sit in the back or next to the driver?'
'That's a good point,' said Frost. 'I hadn't thought of that.' He looked around. 'Anyone got any views on this?'
'It's safer if they sit in the back,' said Burton firmly.
'Yes,' agreed Frost, 'but we're not going for safety. We want the bastard to make his move.' He shook the last cigarette from the pack and stuck it in his mouth. 'Unless it's obvious he's expecting you to sit in the back, then take the seat next to the driver. Now, it's important you don't show your hand too soon. If he squeezes your titties, or ventures above the stocking top, don't flash your warrant card. Do what any self-respecting girl would do, knee him in the goolies and get out without paying. The odds are it won't be our bloke; titty-squeezing is small beer when you lust for stubbing fags out on a soft white belly.'
Polly's hand shot up. 'You say don't jump the gun, Inspector. At what point should we let him know we're policewomen?'
Frost expelled smoke. 'At no point, Polly. He shouldn't know you're a cop until we make the arrest. We need hard evidence. He takes these girls somewhere, ties them up, tortures and rapes them. Unless we know where he takes them, we've got nothing. Ideally, we want to follow you right up to the point where he drags you into his hideaway. And then, providing Mr Mullett doesn't decide we can't do any more overtime and calls us all back, we burst in and rescue you.'
'Will we have radios?' asked Liz.
Frost shook his head. 'They'd be a dead giveaway. You'll each have a mobile phone. Many toms carry them, so it won't look out of place. Any trouble, use it. I don't care if it means you blow your cover, your safety comes first. Any more stupid, time-wasting questions?' He looked around. 'No? Right, we've got an hour before we need to move off, so let's all nip up to the canteen and get ourselves something to eat.'
He watched them file out, chattering excitedly to each other, then took one last look round the empty incident room before switching off the light. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was going to go wrong, he just knew it. Something was going to go terribly wrong.
Frost stifled a yawn and looked at his wrist-watch. Getting on for a quarter past three, time when all the decent toms were tucked up in their beds and the rubbish emerged to pick up any rough trade that might be going, jackals after the lion's leavings. Not much point spending Mullett's overtime money by hanging around any longer. Despite Frost's forebodings, everything had been going like clockwork; the girls made their phone calls, were picked up, tailed, to their correct destinations, then brought back again. Things had gone so well, he just knew nothing important was going to happen tonight and good-looking toms, swinging their handbags at this hour of the morning, were going to look very conspicuous.
DC Burton, at his side, was staring through the windscreen, watching Liz Maud who had just been dropped off by the tail car and was waiting a couple of minutes before making her next phone call.
'Let's call it a night,' Frost began when Button's fingers suddenly tightened on his arm. Frost's head came up. 'Yes, son, I see it.' His radio paged him. The other surveillance car. They had seen it also.
A metallic grey Peugeot slithered round the corner, stopping at the end of the road. Its lights went out.
'Can you clock the registration number?' Frost asked, scrubbing at the windscreen with his coat cuff. Burton shook his head. It was too dark. Very slowly, the Peugeot began to inch forward. Frost frowned. 'What's he up to?' The car shuddered to a halt by the phone kiosk and a burly man in a black zip-up jacket got out and approached Liz. They could see him talking to her, but she was firmly shaking her head. Suddenly, he grabbed hold of her arm and tried to drag her towards the car.
'This is it,' exclaimed Frost excitedly, clicking on his radio. 'All units stand by. Be ready to follow a metallic grey Peugeot 605, no registration details yet.' He squinted through the windscreen, puzzled at what he saw. 'What is she playing at?' Liz was resisting. She had pushed the man off and was walking quickly away. 'Go with the nice man,' pleaded Frost.
Burton, his hand on the door handle, was getting ready to run across to her assistance. 'No,' ordered Frost. 'Wait!' As he spoke the man chased after Liz and grabbed her again and again Frost had to restrain Burton. 'Wait, son.' He couldn't make out why Liz wasn't going quietly. She knew they would be tailing. Then a shrill, animal-like scream of pain shivered the air. Liz and the man were struggling and he hurled her to the ground.
'Sod tailing him,' said Frost. 'Get him.' He chased after Burton, yelling into the radio for assistance as he did so. A second man had now got out of the Peugeot. Something silver flashed in the moonlight. A knife. Another bloody knife! Two in one night.
Burton put on a spun of speed. 'Drop it' he screamed
The second man spun round, seeing the DC for the first time. He jabbed the knife menacingly. 'Stay out of this, sonny!' Then he gave a grunt, his eyes rolled upwards and he dropped like a stone as Frost's torch cracked down on his head.
They didn't give him a second glance as they ran over to the black-jacketed man, who was straddling Liz and had his fist raised ready to smash into her face. Burton grabbed the wrist, feeling with his free hand for the handcuffs in his pocket. As the man threatened to buck Burton off, Frost grabbed a handful of hair, yanked the man off Liz, then smashed his face hard against the pavement. As Burton snapped on the cuffs, Frost gave it another bang for luck, before turning his attention to Liz Maud. 'You all right, love?'
'I'm fine.' She rose to her feet and brushed down her clothes, then she prodded the black-jacketed man with her foot. 'Do you see who it is?' Frost rolled him over and shone his torch on a bruised and blooded face. 'Mickey Harris!' he said. 'Nice to see you again.' Frost looked at the other man who was rising unsteadily to his feet, shaking his head and rubbing the bump on his scalp. Harry Grafton. 'Which of you bastards hit me?' he demanded.
'No-one hit you, Mr Grafton,' beamed Frost. 'You tripped and fell.'
Burton had dragged Mickey Harris to his feet. The man was spitting blood and wincing with pain. 'I want a doctor. That bloody cow kicked me in the goolies.'
'Was it you screaming?' asked Frost. 'I thought it was her.'
'And I'm suing for assault. You handcuffed me then you smashed my face on the pavement.'
'Tut, tut,' reproved Frost. 'Policemen don't do things like that. We tried to stop you falling but you tripped and accidentally banged your head on the pavement three times.' His expression hardened. 'I thought I told you to leave the toms alone, Mickey?'
'She offered me her services and I refused. That's why she kneed me.' He spat out bloody saliva. 'My tooth's broken.'
'There's a coincidence,' said Frost. 'That young tom you beat up, her tooth was broken as well.' He turned to Liz. 'What happened, love?'
'He threatened to cut me up if I didn't move off of Harry Grafton's territory,' said Liz.
