‘My father is offering one hundred thousand pounds for any information that leads to a conviction for the murder of my mother. We are begging the local community to come together and realise that we’re all the same. The death of Keira Bradley must take the same priority as my mother’s, and my father is offering the same amount for information leading to a conviction for that too.’

The press went wild. Jordan locked eyes with Will and saw admiration, but when he glanced at Neil, it was the very opposite; it was almost distaste. He made a note to discuss it with his father.

‘The family is not taking questions at this time,’ Will announced. ‘Thank you all for coming.’

They were escorted out of the room and Jordan went to sit with Millie and the detective. He overheard Neil speaking to his father.

‘You don’t have to go through with it; it can be explained as a knee-jerk reaction and can be retracted.’

Jordan realised that he was talking about his father offering a reward for information about Keira’s death.

Chapter 25

After the press conference, Neil Ormond made rapid excuses to leave and headed back to HQ, where he scanned the initial report on Op Eagle. It made for uncomfortable reading, but the officer responsible had papered over the more serious flaws, and he was satisfied. No one could have predicted the sheer size and mood of the crowds on the Beacon Estate. All procedure had been followed and arrests had been made. There were dozens of interviews being conducted across the Penrith area today, all contributing to the inquiry into the murder of Ella Watson, and that of Keira Bradley, of course. Though what Thomas Watson was thinking wasting his money on that was anyone’s guess.

At sixty, Ormond was nearing retirement, and his wife thought he’d spent too much time on the force as it was. He’d been offered a decent payout three years ago, but couldn’t give up the habit. His wife had virtually begged him to take the money and leave. She dreamed of spending the rest of their days on a cruise ship; he couldn’t think of anything worse. She’d felt bitterly let down when he’d told her that the constabulary needed him to stay on. It was a lie, but she eventually accepted it. The thing was, he couldn’t begin to imagine what civilian life would be like, without power and influence. He’d lived and breathed the uniform for almost forty years. A retirement plan was in place, but there were a few loose ends to tie up before he could bear to let go. The murder of Ella Watson was one of them.