The Coryn Boulder murder case had been a fuck-up from the start. Carter had been in charge; not in name – Kelly Porter was equal in rank – but for the purposes of those in the know, because his uncle was a superintendent. He had cut corners that Porter never even knew about. When the suspect in the case committed suicide by jumping off a multistorey car park, the finger was pointed at Kelly. But it was Carter who’d suppressed the information from a witness that Coryn’s boyfriend was seen dumping black bags in the bins behind her flat a day after her death. The information was ignored because they were so close to nailing the other suspect.

In the event, Porter was thrown under the bus. Carter claimed she was the one who’d handled the witness statements. The inquiry was internal – not deemed serious enough to involve third parties – and put in a drawer. Carter was promoted. Porter was told the ‘mistake’ would be overlooked if she agreed to look at other constabularies. A good Cumbrian granny might say that she’d been stitched up like a kipper.

Emma returned her attention to her current inquiries. She’d called the lab and they’d told her that they would have news for her around ten o’clock. It was Kate Umshaw’s day off. The office buzzed with a low hum and she was glad that she was able to concentrate on her screen in peace.

She heard a noise and looked behind her. Kelly’s door was open, so she got up to close it. Will was sitting at the boss’s desk.

There was a moment between them where Emma didn’t know what to say and Will simply looked at her. Time stood still.

‘The boss said you’re leaving. Is that true?’

‘Yes, I’m being moved.’

‘Why?’

‘Don’t you start!’ He was short with her and it took her by surprise. He sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I was getting some information on Jackson Akers and Tyrone Fenton. I just…’

He was nervous. Emma thought it was because he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t.

‘If you’re leaving the team, why do you need information about the case?’

‘You’re right. Old habits.’ He got up and walked past her.

‘Will?’

He ignored her and left.

Emma rang her boss, but her call went unanswered. She went back into DI Porter’s office and logged onto her computer. The first thing she did was check recent activity. Will wasn’t a fool; whatever he’d been doing, he could easily erase the record. He was a nerd like her. But she knew ways around all the tricks.

It didn’t take long to unpick what he’d done.

He’d been looking at DI Porter’s recent searches. One was his own career profile and the other was Ormond’s.