Millie felt she had good reason for forging ahead. She'd let Max do all the talking in the previous two pubs, but that hadn't got them anywhere. He was too abrasive and, in a place like The Fox, would only antagonise its inhabitants. Perhaps a more feminine approach would produce a better result. Subtly she unzipped her parka as she walked ahead, thankful when she reached the bar before Max realised.

"What are you doing? I told you to keep covered up" he hissed through his teeth. She glanced at him briefly and took the opportunity of his distraction to call over a man she assumed to be the Landlord. Max noticed the man's eyes rove over Millie as she reached the bar, he swore under his breath at her defiance. She pushed back the unzipped parka slightly to reveal the slope of neck to shoulder, an understated move but a clear signal to Max of how she intended to proceed. Max's attention pulled back to the Landlord who smiled leeringly at Millie and his hackles rose immediately. It was one thing for his peers to look at Millie appreciatively, he could just about cope with that, but the thought of this slime looking at her as if she was a piece of meat, made the blood hammer in his head.

"What can I do for you Miss?" oozed the slime.

"PC Brown actually", she flashed her warrant card together with a bright smile. "And this" she waved her hand back towards Max, "is DS Carter."

"Oh Mr Carter and me are well acquainted" but his tone was less friendly. Max grunted his response, stonily holding the other man's gaze. Millie's smile faltered fractionally as she lost a little confidence, but determined to continue, she quickly regained her composure.

"We're looking for this man" she pushed a photograph across the bar, "Mike Sumner. Have you seen him in the last twenty-four hours?" She could see the Landlord debating with himself over how helpful to be.

Just a little nudge, she thought, what's the harm in that? "Please. It's very important."

Max's fury rose as she breathed the words, leaning ever so slightly over the bar towards the Landlord. He could see the gesture wasn't lost on the other man either, his leer returning twofold while he edged forward in response. Millie fought the nausea assailing her, brought on by his stale breath. She really was too close for comfort, thankful that there was a solid pub bar between them, as much for her to cling to as to separate them. But she kept her nerve stoically. The Landlord held her in suspense, taking a long look from her face down to her cleavage where he lingered, licking his thin lips before finally dragging his eyes back up to hers.

"Well, since you asked so … nicely … over there". He nodded towards a man in the corner of the pub. "Chris Barkley, no idea how well they know each other, but they drink together most days. Both ex-forces I think, he's your best bet."

Millie smiled her thanks, glad that this particular ordeal was finally over although she knew from the raging mass of tension standing next to her that she wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Millie! What the-" he hissed as they turned towards Barkley.

"Not now. Say all you want later, but this is the best lead we've had yet so let's get on with it." She strode off, leaving Max staring after her in her wake. He was furious, naturally, but also something else. He couldn't help but admire her determination to push the boundaries to get her information. He recognised it and had the Landlord been a Landlady, he wouldn't have hesitated to use his own brand of charm to get what he wanted, not that he was prepared to admit it to her. By the time the time he had finished drawing to his conclusion, Millie was already halfway over to the slumped figure in the corner. With a resigned shake of his head and the smallest of smiles, Max hurried over to join her. He was relieved to see that the guy was so spaced out that he didn't seem to notice Millie's gentle attempt at attracting his attention, didn't even notice when she sat down directly in his line of sight.

"Chris? Chris Barkley?" she asked softly. No response.

"Chris Barkley? DS Carter, PC Brown, Sun Hill" snapped Max's voice from behind her, "we need to ask you some questions". That got his attention. He slowly shifted his gaze first to Millie and then up to Max. Contemptuously he raised his glass to his lips, saying nothing. "Do you know this man – Mike Sumner?" Barkley looked at the photograph but remained steadfastly silent, his expressionless face giving no indication of recognition.

"Chris, this really is important. Have you seen him or spoken to him in the last twenty-four hours? We really need to find him."

"Have you seen this man?" demanded Max, leaning over Millie and stabbing a finger at the face in the photo, his patience on its last legs. Millie half turned and laid a hand on Max, asking him to back off and let her handle this. Reluctantly, Max straightened, but his expression was no less foreboding.

"Chris, we think Mike has abducted his daughter at gunpoint –"

"Not his daughter" Barkley interrupted her, slurring his words. "Told me last night. That bitch slept with his best mate and passed the kid off as his. What kind of woman does that?" he asked his pint. Privately Max had to agree, he'd been wondering much the same thing.

"What else did he say?"

"Not much" Barkley shrugged. Millie sat back a little, this was beginning to feel like a dead end.

"Did say that the wife was a shite mother, never seemed to do much with the kid, always chatting with her mates. He said she didn't deserve a kid like that, he was genuinely gutted that she wasn't his." Barkley's last words were spoken with more clarity, Millie seized the opportunity.

"What do you think he meant?"

"Oh I don't know! We'd been drinking for hours by the time he told me what happened."

"Do you think he could do any harm to the child?"

Barkley seemed to consider the question for a moment. "No, I doubt it. Underneath all this" he waved a hand around him to indicate the slum of a pub they were sitting in, "he's a solid bloke, bit soft about the kid in fact. If I were you, I'd be more worried about what he'd do to himself." Millie felt her worst fears resurface. Barkley may have been a drunk, but he probably knew Sumner's frame of mind better than anyone else.

"Is there anywhere that he might go? Please, anything you can tell us could help."

"Why do you care? Oh the kid I suppose."

"Well, yes. She is our priority, but Mike is important too, I don't want to see him get any deeper into this than he is already." Max raised his eyes heavenward and exhaled loudly in annoyance.

"Your mate doesn't agree with you." Barkley gave the glimmer of a smile and beneath the years of tobacco and alcohol, possibly drug abuse as well, Millie saw a once attractive, strong and intelligent man. She wondered sadly just how many Chris' and Mike's there were out there.

She gave him a little wink. "He rarely does" she whispered so Max couldn't make out her words. Barkley regarded her for several long seconds, Millie could almost see his mind ticking over, trying to decide whether he should trust her.

"He's got a lock up on Boundary Road. That's where he keeps his gun. I don't know anything else."