‘I’ve been doing what you asked, boss, and pursuing forensics. When I was searching for sales of the black rope, I came across a glut of them in B&Q in Penrith. I thought it was as good a place to start as any. They date from May to July this year. I requested the CCTV and it’s digital so it was really quick. I got through five hours, and then I saw this.’

Emma turned the Toughpad around and showed Kelly a still photo from a checkout.

‘Is that Jackson Akers?’ Kelly asked.

‘Yes.’

‘Jesus, does the time correlate with the sale of the rope?’

‘Yes. But that’s not what I wanted to show you. I fast-forwarded to the wrong time by accident, but I found this.’ She showed Kelly once more.

‘What the fuck?’

On Emma’s screen was a video clip of Jackson Akers talking to two men. One was Will Phillips and the other was Liam Brook.

Chapter 32

Kelly gripped the steering wheel. Rob talked as she drove towards the Beacon Estate. Emma had wanted to go with her but Rob had insisted and Kelly hadn’t fought it. From social media they’d put together a detailed profile of Jackson Akers. She would have interviewed him yesterday if Op Turkey hadn’t derailed her. Now was as good a time as any, and he was a big man.

‘Why not just ask Will outright, boss?’ Rob wanted to do everything properly, and Kelly commended his purity. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the same respect for the processes she’d sworn to protect. They were letting her down; everything she’d based her ethics on was unravelling, and she knew that somehow Will was involved.

‘We have to be discreet, Rob. Don’t discuss this with him. It’s my job to get to the bottom of it. If I go in heavy now, I could lose a chance to find out what’s going on.’

‘It’s clear, boss. Will uses informants without your knowledge, with his pal.’

‘But I need to find out who he gives the information to, because it’s clearly not me.’

‘Do you think he’s a plant?’

‘It’s possible.’

There were units in the police, usually under Counter-Corruption and Surveillance, that planted officers to investigate accusations. But Kelly couldn’t think why one would be embedded in her team.

‘I want to tail both of them, but I can’t go through Ormond.’ She was thinking aloud.

‘Boss?’