First Chapter Insights

Westbridge is a city on the outskirts of London. A university town that bustles with vibrancy from students during the week and locals looking for a great night out at the weekend. An affluent area, that along with many areas of the UK, has its share of crime and antisocial behaviour.

In recent years the town had seen an increase in drug dealers from urban areas exploiting vulnerable adults and children in the more rural and suburban areas of the city, mostly growing and selling cannabis and moving large quantities of cocaine.

Detective Sergeant Richard McDonald (Mackie) had lived in Westbridge all his life, a career Police Officer, who had served twenty years and was well respected by his colleagues.

He was divorced from his wife Sarah and was renting until he decided what to do next in his life. They had two teenage twins Ethan and Grace who were 17 and spent alternate weeks with between their mum and dad. Although separated, Mackie had a great relationship with his ex, Sarah.

Mackie had received a large settlement from the divorce and wanted to do something with it that would be beneficial for his children’s future. Mackie’s dream was to set up a property development business, something that he hoped he would be able to do with his Ethan and Grace, until they were experienced enough to take over and earn a living from.

Mackie was the DS in charge of a small team of ‘handlers’. Their role was to recruit and task informants with collecting intelligence. These informants were indirectly involved in criminal activities and could provide information to the police. This information would be used to disrupt criminal activities, help identify suspects, collect evidence, or identify patterns of behaviour. These covert officers are known in the police as CHIS handlers, meaning Covert Human Intelligence Source.

Because of the nature of their work, these teams do not spend much time with their colleagues, and they work away from the police stations in ‘normal’ offices. Their role as handlers is not only to collect intelligence but also to protect the identity of their informants and ensure that no information can be linked back to the source.

This meant that if good information could lead to an arrest or the recovery of drugs or firearms, nothing could happen if the intelligence would lead directly to the informant, which could put them at risk.

It's a serious job, with a close-knit and highly professional team that is trained not only to protect the information but also in surveillance and countersurveillance techniques.

Mackie had provided information on many high-profile cases over the years, and these had led to arrests in gang-related murders, drug dealing, theft and terrorism offences, and he was proud that he and his team had never faced a situation where any of their sources had been compromised or accused of being a ‘grass’.

The perception from many of Mackie's uniformed colleagues was that informants were drug addicts, alcoholics or tramps, but this was far from the reality of it.

Most of Mackie's informants were gang members of different levels within the gangs, some top boys and the others bottom feeders or runners. Next, there were university students mainly providing information on both students and lecturers involved in the recruitment of extremists. There were also business owners of various descriptions who had different levels of contact with criminality.

Each had their reason for helping the police, but none of them were addicted to any substances, none of them were stupid, and none of them offered information under duress, however, they all did so knowing the risks and so did Mackie and his team and they took the protection of these assets very seriously. They also got paid for the information.

Although Mackie worked mostly Monday through Friday, it was a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week job, where he took calls at all hours of the day or night. And in the protection of his community, his team, and the assets, Mackie didn’t complain once.

This particular morning was the type of morning Mackie loved. The sun was out, there was not a cloud in the sky, but there was a slight breeze, and everything seemed to be bright and positive. Mackie knew what really went on in the houses in the tree-lined streets and the overly populated council estates, but Mackie was as positive about life as he was resolute in his honesty and integrity.

Mackie loved life, and even more so on a sunny day, when he could wear shorts, a T-shirt and a hoody. And working in covert policing meant that he could wear what he thought appropriate and keep his hair longer than regulation. Although casual, he took pride in his appearance. He was casual but always clean, with a nice aftershave and oozing confidence. He loved the covert nature of his role, policing, but not in the limelight. He didn’t need recognition from senior officers, or stories in the press or social media, just the satisfaction of doing a good job, protecting lives and doing the right thing.

As Mackie got in his car for the short drive to work, across town, Zoe, who would soon enter Mackie's life, was having a less-than-pleasant morning.

Zoe had divorced her husband a few years earlier, and their twin girls, Scarlett and Poppy who were 16, lived almost permanently with their mum. Poppy hated her dad, Simon and hadn’t spoken a word to him since the divorce. Poppy was extremely protective of her mother, despite knowing her mum was far from perfect, Poppy had no one else in her life, her sister barely tolerated her and took equal pleasure in either ignoring her or humiliating her in public or at school. Poppy found it hard to make and keep friends of her own, due to her propensity to tell lies and the need to be the centre of attention, Poppy craved her mum's attention at all times and was desperate to be her only friend.

Zoe seemed to turn a blind eye to the obvious hostility between her siblings and carried on treating them as if they were as close as they were once when they were children.

Scarlett was a very popular and social party girl. Addicted to social media with a large following and circle of friends, both girls and boys. Although popular with the boys, she did not have or want a boyfriend. This was in contrast to her sister Poppy who desperately longed for love, whether it be a boy or a girl, she craved attention and validation.

Scarlett has a strong sense of self and knows what she wants. She doesn’t care about anyone else; as long as she is having fun, laughing, and looking good, she is happy.

Zoe’s identity was a mum. She longed for a baby and to be a mum again, and after the twins were born, she tried to get pregnant again with her ex, Simon, but after years of trying and Simon refusing to have tests, she gave up. Now at 40, Zoe decided she was too old for a baby but was desperate to meet a man with young children, so she could give up work and be a mum again.

However, after the divorce, Zoe did not meet the man of her dreams and again, blamed this on her age and with older teenagers, was jealous of their youth, good looks and their future.

Zoe had to work to pay the bills, and she disliked it with a passion. She felt like she was too good to ‘work’ and ‘deserved’ to be a housewife. She found it hard to do the 9-to-5 as she hated routine, hated being told what to do, hated the mundane normality of that existence, and didn’t really like working with people her age or older. She thought that most people were ‘boring’.

What Zoe did like, however, was to party, go to pubs, and be with people half her age. She loved having parties at the house, especially with Scarlett’s friends and would encourage her to fill the house with teenagers, drinking and smoking weed. Zoe wanted to be that age again, to party, be free and mostly to have sex. She loved the teenage boys, who called her a MILF and was desperate for one of them to take it further, even if they were just 16.

Just like Poppy, Zoe craved attention and validation. She wanted to be young again, to be popular with the boys again. She resented Poppy, who was very similar to her mum at her age. Zoe couldn’t understand why such a slim, good-looking girl couldn’t get a boyfriend. She saw it as a waste of youth.

Being an adult with responsibility was the worst thing for Zoe, as she was getting older, single, and bored.

Shortly after getting her settlement, Zoe opened a cocktail lounge bar, ‘Sip Society,’ in the local town. It was a popular bar staffed by the girls' friends and popular with the locals, although it was too expensive for the students.

On this morning, the girls were due to be at school for one of their GCSE exams. However, Zoe had overslept.

The night before, having finished off a bottle of prosecco, she had fallen asleep on the settee, hadn’t set an alarm and had only woken after a half-full wine glass had fallen from an arm of the settee onto Zoe’s lap.

“For fuck sake”, Zoe shouted, as she moved uncomfortably on her seat, wriggly around trying to avoid the prosecco now running between her legs. Rubbing her eyes and confused, she knocked the prosecco bottle, which had been on a side table, onto the floor while blindly reaching for her phone.

She found her phone, tapping the screen and pressing buttons furiously as she tried to see what the time was. But the phone was dead, having not been charged since the morning the day before.

Still dressed in yesterday's clothes, now damp and smelling of booze, Zoe staggered to the kitchen. The clock on the microwave told her she had 30 minutes to get the girls up, dressed, and dropped off at school. Zoe was furious, but not with herself.

Zoe stood at the bottom of the stairs shouting up to the girls, “WHY ARE YOU TWO NOT AWAKE! You’ve got thirty minutes before your exams!”

There was no response, so angrily, Zoe stomped up the stairs. At the top of the stairs was Poppy’s Room. Zoe burst into the room, pulling the duvet off Poppy, who was fast asleep. Zoe picked up a glass of water from the side table and threw it at Poppy, the water splashing over her top and soaking the bed.

Poppy woke, “Fucking hell mum, why did you do that?”

“Because you’ve overslept and you’re going to be late for your exam, I’ve been shouting at you for ages. I thought I heard you getting ready. You have 15 minutes and we have to leave. So get up and get ready!” Zoe said angrily as she walked out of Poppy’s room and across the landing to Scarlett’s.

Zoe stormed into Scarlet's room and pulled the duvet from her, but Chole managed to grab it and pull it back, “Let go you cunt!” Scarlett said to her mum. Furious, Zoe responded, “Don’t talk to your mother like that!”. “Fuck off you fat ugly cunt!” Chole shouted as she started kicking out at Zoe.

Zoe left the room shouting abuse at her daughters as they both responded in kind.

But this was a typical start to the mornings at Zoe's house. And surprisingly, in the time it took to make a coffee, Poppy was dressed and ready for school. As usual, Scarlett came downstairs at the last possible moment and then ignored her mum all the way to school. Poppy acted like nothing had happened and was chatting happily to her mum.

After dropping the girls off, Zoe went home to freshen up and get changed before driving to the bar to meet a new cleaner and new supplier. She wasn’t in the mood for this as desperately wanted a business partner to take on the business. Zoe hated the long hours, the relentless bills and administration and most of all, hated customers. What Zoe did like was being her employee's best friend, and sitting at the bar drinking.

Zoe was a functioning alcoholic, but was in complete denial, despite a history of drunken injuries, that included being hit by vehicles on more than one occasion after falling into the road, burning herself on many occasions whilst cooking, having memory issues, verbally and physically abusing her family and partners. And of the few dates that she did have, none of them wanted to see her again after regularly drinking too much and getting too touchy-feely and then abusive when asked to calm down.

Her sister, her ex and her children had all at one point, asked her to stop drinking and to get help, but this fell on deaf ears and she resented being ‘told what to do.’

With Friends, Zoe is good at hiding it, and they believe she is a social butterfly, very funny, and caring. Her friends loved that Zoe regularly organised social events loved a party, and planned them for other people. When Zoe did make a drunken ‘mistake’ in public, somehow, she was always given the benefit of the doubt, and her friend just chalked up her odd behaviour to just having one too many and having fun.

But as the years passed, Zoe’s friends drifted away.

Behind closed doors, however, Zoe was spiteful, vindictive, disorganised and apathetic.

On the way to work, Mackie received a call. It was Ashley, one of his team members. “Morning Mackie, Sorry I’ve got a bit of an issue, I need to get to Wales later and see my Mum, she fell and broke her arm a few weeks ago, and my brother was supposed to be looking after her, anyway I need to get there as my useless shit of a brother can't help her this week.”

Mackie laughed and suggested that she leave as soon as possible but she should hand over her ‘job’ phone so that she didn’t have to take any work calls and they arranged to meet at the Costa in the high street.

Mackie soon arrived in town, parked, and strolled down the High Street. As he approached Costa, a lady burst out of the door to ‘Sip Society’, utterly oblivious to the world around her, sending Mackie flying into the road. It was Zoe, too busy arguing on her phone to notice what was going on in front of her until it was too late.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry!”, Zoe said as Mackie tried to regain his balance and composure. Looking back towards Zoe, Mackie responded, “No worries, but if you’re going to sweep me off my feet, you could do it with a little more finesse.” Zoe chuckled, her initial embarrassment fading. 'I’ll keep that in mind for next time. How about I make it up to you with a coffee? I promise to keep my hands to myself.' Mackie's smile widened. 'Sounds like a plan. Just no more surprise exits, okay?'"

There was some chemistry there, Mackie explained that he was going for a coffee in the high street with a colleague but would be free in an hour.

For the first time in over twenty years, Mackie had arranged a date, and he was going on his first date since his divorce and second date in two decades.

He was nervous and excited, with a skip in his step and a slightly foggy brain, he walked across the road to grab a coffee with Ashley, who just happened to be sitting at a table by the window and had seen everything.

“Who was that woman?” Ashley asked with a little smile creeping across her face.

“Don’t you worry about it. Americano?” Mackie tried to change the subject but knew he would spend very little of the next hour talking about work. This would be all about this mystery woman. As Mackie made his way to the counter to order coffee, he couldn’t help staring out the window to catch another glimpse of this lovely lady he had somehow arranged to meet soon.

With coffees in hand and preparing for an inquisition, Mackie made his way to the table and sat with Ashley, batting off every question. Ashley couldn’t be happier for Mackie. She had known him for a few years, never heard about him going on a date, never seen him with another woman and was definitely not a ‘shagger’ as they liked to say in the police.

Mackie was a very smart, good-looking guy. He just didn’t want to have a relationship until he was ready and had never felt ready. And, by fate or decision by a bigger power, Mackie was going on a date and he was happy about it.

Eventually, Mackie managed to get Ashley to discuss work. It was decided that Ashley would call her informants and tell them that Mackie would have her phone for the next week or so until she returned. Mackie had gone on meetings with all of Ashley's informants, they knew him and trusted him. And she only had three, so it wasn’t a big ask for Mackie to ‘babysit’ them.

Ashley went outside and made the calls whilst Mackie sat at the table nursing his coffee, checking the time on his phone and looking out the window into Zoe's bar, hoping to catch another glimpse of her.

Ashley came back in and handed Mackie the phone, telling him that it wasn’t locked and only had her informants' contact numbers and pseudonyms on it.

Informants are given pseudonyms to protect their identities, and it's not uncommon for the handlers to forget their real names.

In the Mackie's unit, they would come up with funny names for their informants, such as Annette Curtain, Barry Cade, Sue Flay, and Crystal Clear. The informants didn’t know this, they only ever used their first names, but it was a bit of fun for the team.

In this case, Mackie was now looking after Bill Board, Holly Wood and Paige Turner until Ashley returned from Wales. And judging by the conversation he had just had with Ashley, her being there for a week was very optimistic. But Mackie was a very understanding guy who knew the importance of family support and would cover for Ashley as she wasn’t a ‘piss-taker’.

Ashley left and as she walked past the window she banged on the glass, and jokingly blew Mackie a kiss, shouting, “Love you” and laughing hysterically.

Right on queue, Zoe walked out of the bar, locked the door behind her and strutted over to the bar. She caught Mackies attention and waved at him through the window,

She walked up to him, and as he got up, she placed her hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down. “No need for that.” She laughed and offered him another coffee, and he gladly accepted.

He couldn’t stop looking at Zoe as she stood at the counter, and she looked back at him, they just couldn’t stop smiling at each other. The more Mackie looked, the more he saw how much he liked her. She wasn’t the same as his ex. Zoe was a lot smaller, petit little thing. She had brunette hair and his ex was blonde. She dressed a lot younger for her age too, but was classy and looked like she paid a lot of attention to her appearance.

Mackie couldn’t wait to start talking to her. And when they started, they couldn’t stop. Laughing and giving each other a touch of the hand now and again. It felt electric. Mackie knew he had to get back to the office, but he just wanted 30 more minutes with her.

Zoe was smitten, too. She couldn’t believe her luck. He was so good-looking, and all she wanted to do was grab him and kiss him. She had always had a fantasy of grabbing a stranger in a public place and giving them a massive kiss, but she resisted.

She was also intrigued by the woman who had left the coffee shop earlier. Zoe wanted to ask Mackie but was waiting for the right time.

“I have to get back to the office”, Mackie said, “But, do you think we should just have one more coffee?”. Zoe confirmed that this was a good idea as she had time before collecting her girls from school.

Mackie got up and went to the counter.

With Mackie momentarily distracted, Zoe’s gaze fell on Ashley's phone sitting on the table. Assuming it must be Mackie's and with a rush of curiosity surging through her, she felt an impulsive urge to find out what was on the phone. She quickly glanced around and, tapped the screen. It wasn’t locked. She looked up and confirmed that Mackie wasn’t looking. She went to the contacts and saw only three names and numbers, Bill, Holly and Paige.

Her heart raced as she grabbed a scrap of paper from her bag, jotting down the names and numbers before Mackie returned. Zoe put the phone as Mackie sat down with two steaming cups of coffee. His attention was drawn to the screen as it was lit up. He sat down picking up the phone to check if he had missed a call or message. But there was nothing, ‘Strange’, he thought to himself and he put the phone back face down and looked up at Zoe.

“What were you up to while I was gone?”, Mackie asked jokingly, with a smile on his face.

“Just admiring the coffee shop’s decor,” she replied with a bright smile, hiding the thrill of her small victory.

Mackie raised an eyebrow, a playful grin spreading across his face. “You’re a terrible liar, you know that?”

Zoe leaned back, crossing her arms with a mock pout. “Okay, fine. I was just checking the time on your phone. It is your phone, isn’t it? Or does it belong to your girlfriend?” Zoe asked with a cheeky smile in her voice.

Mackie chuckled, shaking his head. “She’s definitely just a colleague. Why, are you jealous?”

“Me? Jealous? Never!” she replied, a playful edge creeping into her voice. But then, with a more serious tone, she added, “I just don’t want to be another person’s backup plan. I’ve had enough of that.”

Mackie met her gaze, sensing the vulnerability beneath her words. “I promise you, I’m not the type to use anyone. I’m just here for coffee and good conversation.

Zoe softened, her expression shifting as she took a sip of her coffee. “Fair enough. Just making sure you’re not like the others.”

He smiled, appreciating her honesty.

As their conversation continued, the chemistry between them deepened, hinting at the potential for something meaningful.

However, Zoe's rage was building. She could feel the heat of anger and jealousy moving up her neck, and she needed to leave before she said anything.

From the outside, Mackie, a seasoned copper, couldn’t tell anything was wrong with Zoe. Nothing had changed. If anything, the playful banter and flirting confirmed that he should ask her for a second date.

They finished their coffees and walked out together.

Zoe told Mackie that she had to get something from the bar and reached down to grab Mackie's hand. “I enjoyed this time with you. I’ve never felt so connected to anyone. I want to kiss you. Would that be okay?” Mackie gently pulled her towards him. Holding her hand, he moved it behind her back, cuddling her, and they both kissed.

Mackie was immediately taken aback by the fact that Zoe didn’t kiss him the way he had expected. This kiss took him back to his teenage years, and not it a good way. It was like Zoe hadn’t kissed anyone before. But he carried on and as he pulled away, Zoe with her eyes closed quietly spoke, “Can I have your phone number?”

They exchanged numbers and went their separate ways.