Kelly told them that there were journalists from all over the country and a few from Europe. Mum’s death was being used as an example of the precarious level of security on Britain’s streets. That was fine by him; they could do what they liked as long as it was kept in the news. He stared at his favourite picture of his mother: the one of her in her running kit. He’d taken it with his iPhone. She’d been going for a run along the lake and had forgotten her headphones. He and Millie had been getting ready for school and she’d shouted from the kitchen, asking if somebody could get them from upstairs so she didn’t have to take her trainers off. Jordan had run downstairs wearing just a towel and she’d laughed. He couldn’t remember what had prompted him to snap her with his phone, apart from that it irritated her. She hated having her photo taken.

‘Delete it!’ she’d hollered as she left. He was eternally grateful that he hadn’t.

‘Ready?’ Kelly asked.

A flustered police officer in a fancy uniform rushed in, and Jordan recognised him as Dad’s friend Neil. He went straight to Dad and took his hand.

‘Superintendent,’ DI Porter said. Jordan looked at the DI and then at Neil: he was obviously her boss, and he reckoned they didn’t like one another.

Neil coughed, and Dad nodded.

‘I’m just about to brief the press, sir,’ DI Porter said.

Neil nodded. ‘I’ll take a back seat, Tom,’ he said. As he walked to a chair behind the table, he patted Jordan on his shoulder and smiled that pained smile at him. Jordan decided that he didn’t like him either; he felt sorry for Kelly having to work for him.

The other officer, Will, brought their attention back to why they were here, and gave some last-minute instructions to do with timings and when he would use the images. It was a blur.

Kelly left the room and Jordan heard the buzz of anticipation from the journalists. He’d never been to a press conference, though he’d seen plenty of them during his A-level media lessons. He couldn’t imagine himself sitting his A levels now. He’d likely be in prison by then for murder.

Kelly came back and held her hand out to Millie, who took it. She turned to Dad.

‘There are a few more than we thought. Are you ready?’

He nodded.