“How come everything police issue never bloody well fits me?” he thought to himself.

Ridley, Jack, Laura and Anik had each been given a tablet so they could flick through crime scene photos as they moved. Jack stood in the center of the room, where the sofa had been, and looked at images of the burnt body melted into the springs. The fire must have raged with real intensity to obliterate the body, down to the bone in places. Jack was overwhelmed by the need to know who this man used to be—was he one of the bad guys or was he an innocent victim? Was he a “pervert,” as the faint red paint on the wall suggested? Or was he just in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people? His train of thought was broken by his mobile buzzing in his pocket. His mum had left a second voicemail.

Ridley was across the room listening to Prescott talk inter-station politics. Prescott was explaining that he wasn’t going to get in Ridley’s way, but that he did want to stay close to the investigation; after all, Norma was one of their own and the mystery of a dead body in her old house was definitely something they wanted answers to. Jack took the opportunity to quickly nip out into what used to be the front garden and listen to his mum’s voicemail, as he wouldn’t be able to do it in the car back to London with Ridley.

“Hello, darling. It’s Mum.” As though he didn’t know. “Can you visit? Soon, I mean. Only me and your dad need to have a little chat with you. Nothing for you to worry about, just . . . we’d love to see you.”

The words “nothing for you to worry about” clearly told Jack that there was something for him to worry about. Without thinking where he was and who might be listening, he called straight back.

“What’s up?” Jack asked quickly, not bothering with any of the usual pleasantries.

Initially he heard nothing in reply, as his mum held her breath on the other end of the phone; then he heard that very distinctive slow exhale that comes with letting overdue tears flow. Jack’s voice was all it took for Penny to be overwhelmed by pent-up emotion.

“I’m going to come to you as soon as I can. OK, Mum? It might not be today, but I’ll try my best. Is Dad OK?”

Again, Penny didn’t—couldn’t—answer immediately. After what seemed like an age, she managed to whisper, “No, sweetheart.”

Jack kept his voice calm. “I’ll be there tonight. Don’t worry. I’m coming.”

He hung up, regained his composure and looked at Ridley, who was now lording it amid his temporarily extended team, dishing out his anally retentive orders, checking and double-checking that everyone knew their role.

“Guv,” Jack said politely. This wasn’t going to go down well. “Could I have a word in private, please?” He and Ridley stepped away from the bulk of the people. “I have a family issue, guv. I’m sorry, I know it’s bad timing.”