The bullet was removed from her head in an operation that lasted three hours, and which left the surgeons trembling and sweating. They had expected her to die under their probing forceps at any moment. It was a .22 bullet, and although cautious about making premature assumptions, it was suggested that it came from a converted Brocock airgun. This is what Detective Superintendent Hemsley told Den Cooper on Thursday evening. ‘There are quite a few of them around these days,’ Danny said. ‘It’s not terribly difficult to convert, if you’ve got access to the machinery. It makes a legal airgun into a powerful weapon. And it makes life very hard for us: they’re almost impossible to trace.’ ‘Well, I can’t say I know anyone with a Brocock, converted or otherwise,’ admitted Den. ‘Not being very helpful, am I?’ ‘You were pretty prompt getting to the scene this afternoon,’ Danny said. ‘I was on my way anyhow. I dithered about whether to go to Grafton’s funeral.
