The irony sat heavy on his heart: that the man Ella had harboured distaste for was in her kitchen now, ranting about her possible killers. Thomas couldn’t figure out why Ormond was so crazed over Ella’s case. He’d talked of a young man called Tyrone, and promised that he’d be apprehended and locked up before Christmas; it was wild talk for somebody who represented an institution so tightly regulated and in the spotlight. In the good old days of bobbies on the beat, where crime was settled on the street, perhaps Neil would have fitted in, but now, any tiny mistake made by the police – whether it be racism-related or raiding the wrong house – was scrutinised by the press and the law.

It was plain odd.

‘The other one – you know, the girl the next day – that was his girlfriend; he killed her too. So we have a pattern, Tom. It’ll all be wrapped up soon, don’t worry.’

It was as if Neil was delivering his conclusions before anyone had been arrested or investigated. Even Thomas knew that wasn’t the way to solve a murder.

‘So you must have a lot of forensic evidence then? It’s watertight, is it?’

Neil waved his hand. ‘Don’t you worry about that; it’s all in hand and taken care of.’

Thomas had wanted to ask what exactly that meant, but his shock prevented him from finding the words.

He also found it strange that Ormond hadn’t even used Keira Bradley’s name. He understood how the two murders could be seen as different: one woman had stumbled into the path of two crazed thugs on the wrong afternoon, in the wrong park. The other led a life where, unfortunately, you’d expect to run into trouble. However, it was the casual nature of Neil’s dismissal of her that riled him. He wasn’t about to drive down to the Beacon Estate and make friends with Sharon Bradley, but she’d lost her daughter in the most horrific way, and deserved compassion. And why was Neil so convinced the two murders were linked?

‘Revenge. His girlfriend dumped him and he went looking for a woman to hurt – any woman. Then, when she pieced together what he’d done, he killed her too.’

‘I thought two people attacked Ella.’

‘An accomplice: not hard to get in that area of town.’

‘And he’s confessed?’

‘Not exactly.’

Neil lost his footing at this point and grabbed onto the kitchen counter. Millie was upstairs and Jordan had gone out for a pizza. Thomas’s mother was in the bath. He wished she was down here with him to witness the man’s curious behaviour. A vase came crashing down onto the tiled floor and smashed into pieces.

Thomas helped him up and he announced that he was leaving.

‘You’re not driving, are you, Neil?’

‘Of course I am.’

‘But you…’

‘What?’