‘I dunno. She inspires people, I see it in the office all the time. Even when she meets a murderer, or a child abuser, they all diminish in front of her.’

‘The second coming?’

Will punched his friend’s arm.

‘What will we do tonight?’ he asked Liam seriously.

‘What we always do: as we’re told.’

‘Aren’t you tired of that?’

‘We’ve got no choice.’

It was true. Since their first days on the force together, they’d been bound by events long ago that would forever dictate their futures. They were brothers in more than terms of camaraderie; they were bonded in experience and tragedy. Kelly Porter had no idea what Will’s past horrors looked like, and nor would she.

‘One day there’ll be an opportunity to wring his neck,’ Liam said.

‘Stop it. I don’t wanna fucking talk about it. Just do your fucking job.’ Will’s tone was sharp, but he hated the topic being brought up; it was in the past and would remain there. Liam had more of the scrapper in him, whereas Will was more rules-driven. Perhaps that was why they’d chosen their respective career paths: uniforms imposed the law instantly; detectives took their time. They both got there in the end. Of course he’d like to see Ormond get his comeuppance. But he was also a realist who knew that would never happen. Maybe that was why he had so much affection for Kelly: because she believed in the unbelievable.

Chapter 17

Liam drove Will in a patrol car to the other side of town, to a yard used by the Cumbrian constabulary to house its larger patrol, riot and transport vehicles. Will had been on similar raids before, without the knowledge of his boss. No one knew his marriage was over, and that he had time on his hands. He hated being at the flat on his own, so he tagged along on exercises like this one. When extra feet were required on the ground, his stellar history during crowd control exercises and on the street came in handy.

A fifty-strong task force had been given the green light to step up the rounds on the Beacon Estate. ‘Step up’ was an understatement. The order had come from Superintendent Ormond that vehicles were to stop and search any miscreants looking as though they were up to no good. It sounded vague but wasn’t. Thugs and arrests were required.

The operation was coded Op Eagle and was designed to last for the best part of the evening, extending across the whole estate. They were to set up checkpoints and run a military-style zero-tolerance undertaking. Will felt slightly uneasy because he knew that at some point Kelly would find out, but, as he explained to Liam, their hands were tied. He’d take the flack when it came, and it would be worth it; rather that than tell her the truth.