It’s clear that Violet has been killed by the Animal Vigilantes, but the police are unwilling to take action! The investigation is being run by DI Meg Dalton, a vegetarian with an agenda! If she won’t find Violet’s killer, we will! These misguided animal liberation lunatics think they can save animals by killing Violet. They’ve made it VERY clear they plan to kill more people!! But we’re not giving up that easily. Come forward and confess or we’re going to start killing animals until you do!

‘Wow,’ Fiona said.

I slammed my hand on my desk. ‘For fuck’s sake!’

Jai shifted his chair away from me, as if I might get violent. ‘Apparently, if whoever killed Violet hasn’t confessed by midnight, they’re going to find an animal in a field and kill it on camera.’

My anger was turning cold. ‘Who are these people?’

‘I suspect they’re a bunch of angry blokes who feel they’re under attack. These sorts have been after a fight for the last few years. White, heterosexual men who’ve never read a book in their lives and are proud of it. They eat lots of meat. And they like watching girls prancing around in bikinis cooking it.’

‘But we don’t even know for sure that Violet’s dead, let alone that she was killed by the Animal Vigilantes. And what’s me being a sodding vegetarian got to do with it?’

‘There’s a lot of anger,’ Jai said. ‘It’s been building up for a while. I suppose they see you as aligned with the animal rights people.’

‘But that’s crazy! I’m not an activist. I’ve been on the occasional march and I donate to a few animal charities. Why am I even justifying this to you? These people need locking up.’

‘They want locking up for the sheer number of exclamation marks in that piece,’ Fiona said.

I noticed the time. ‘Oh God, we’ve got the press conference in a minute.’

‘Are you going to mention this?’

I shook my head. ‘It’s only a stupid thing on Facebook. Whose animals are they going to kill? They’ll be punishing the very farmers they want to support.’

My stomach twisted at the sight of the long table. Three chairs, three microphones. I shuffled across and sat down. I hadn’t had time to prepare properly. I was still reeling from the personal attack on the Facebook page. All I ever did was try to do my job and do it well and yet I always ended up in the firing line. I felt like punching someone.

Violet’s parents edged in behind the table, from the other side. Helen was next to me, dabbing her eyes. Roy had been clothed by our adviser in a better shirt, vibrating as if ready to explode.