She had done hard years in the former SO5 Child Protection unit, pursuing a vicious child pornography ring, the sort of job that burns you out, and from which you have to go into convalescence. Hence she was now in charge of the missing persons section of the Homicide unit. Following the rule that Met Police initials have to be changed every two years, it was called SD1 – SDs being the newer, sexier versions of SOs. She was also now a Detective Chief Superintendent, though she and Slider had started at the same time and had been at Hendon together. The difference in their career trajectories had upset his first wife, Irene, no end. ‘Bill! Good to hear from you again.’ ‘How are the missing persons?’ he asked. ‘It’s “missing persons and abductions with danger of the taking of life”,’ she corrected him sternly. ‘Having fun?’ She caved. ‘After child pornography, it’s the equivalent of a stay in a cottage hospital,’ she admitted. ‘I’ve got a good team – all old-fashioned coppers, no lightweights or prima donnas.
