Jaime Raven - The Alibi - A gripping crime thriller full of secrets, lies and revenge

My heart started pounding high up in my throat and I was sorely tempted to beat a retreat. But at that moment the man at the head of the table stood up and gave a twisted smile.

‘It’s good to see you in the flesh at last, Miss Chambers,’ he said in a broad cockney accent. ‘I’m Frankie Bishop and I have to say I’d willingly pay to give you one, as I’m sure would every man in this room.’

There were groans of agreement from the others and I felt my system flush with rage and indignation.

I was about to fire back an angry retort when the two men to my right lunged towards me. One seized my shoulder bag while the other grabbed my arms from behind and held me in a firm grip.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ I screamed. ‘Let me go.’

‘We need to be sure that you’re not recording what goes on in this room,’ Bishop said. ‘It’s just a precaution.’

The man with my bag emptied the contents on the floor. Then he picked up the phone and voice recorder and checked that they weren’t recording.

‘All clear,’ he said as he set about putting everything back into the bag.

The other man now pushed me forward and onto one of the chairs. I wanted to resist but felt paralysed as raw fear flooded my body.

I sat there, trying to control my breathing, as Frankie Bishop lowered himself back onto his chair and stared at me.

He was a big, hard-looking bastard. His face was dimpled with small scars as if from terrible wounds. His nose was splayed and crooked, and his bulging biceps strained at the black T-shirt he was wearing. He had short cropped hair and eyes that were small and cold.

‘I will say this for you, Chambers,’ he said, dropping the Miss. ‘You’ve got some front coming here and telling a big fat lie to get in. You never had any appointment with Danny. He never speaks to reporters as you well know.’

‘I thought he might make an exception today,’ I said with false bravado. ‘In view of what’s happened to his ex-wife.’

‘Well, Danny’s not here.’

‘So where is he?’

He ignored the question. ‘I don’t think he’d be pleased to see you even if he was here. In fact I reckon he’d give you a slap for what you said to those coppers. We just watched it on the telly.’

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