‘We’ve had to extend the outer cordon, Ma’am,’ the uniformed officer told us. ‘A reporter got inside the block from the rear.’

‘You’re kidding. Who called 999?’ I half-knew what the answer was going to be.

‘Suzie James, Ma’am.’

‘Christ’s sake. That means she was in the building, in the dark, before the firearms officers had checked if there was an active shooter in there.’

The guard nodded. ‘It was the first responder who called firearms. By then she’d left.’

A few yards away, at the inner cordon, Dougie was waiting for us, shuffling from leg to leg, fury bursting from his craggy features. ‘You wait ’til I get my hands on her. Climbed through a sodding window.’ He clamped his hands to his face in exasperation. ‘What the hell was she thinking of? She’ll get herself shot one of these days.’

‘It would have to be her.’

‘Trampling all over the blood spatter and firearm discharge. She has about as much respect for forensic science as she does for ethical standards in journalism.’

‘Did she get near the body?’

‘She’s refusing to tell us on the grounds that we’ve stopped her from reporting on a matter which is of public interest. She rang emergency services and said the child was dead, so she must’ve been in the room with him.’

‘Let me speak to her. She’s been due a bollocking for a long time.’ I pointed at the flat. ‘What have we got?’

Dougie looked from me to Dan. ‘You do know who it is in there, don’t you?’

‘I told her,’ Dan said.

‘Maya, are you sure you—?’

‘It’s my job.’ I held out my hand for protective clothing.

‘If you’re sure . . . ’ Dougie handed suits to us both. ‘Professional job, by the looks of it. Two shots. One to the head, one to the heart. And some writing on the wall.’

‘Ballistics here yet?’

Dan and I pulled the forensic suits on.

‘Inside with Dr Clark and the forensic firearms expert. The blood pattern analyst is on her way.’

‘Have we got either of the bullets?’

‘Dr Clark suspects that one’s lodged in his heart muscle. If we can’t find the one that went through his head, he’s going to remove the other one when he does the PM.’

‘Be good if we can identify the firearm.’

‘Even better if we can find it but right now there’s little chance of either.’ Dougie was shaking his head.

‘What did he say that day we bumped into him in Brick Lane?’ I turned to Dan.

‘Kyle’s going to kill me.’

‘And Kyle is Kenny. Kenny bloody Hayes did this, I bet you.’ Suddenly, guilt bit at me. ‘I sent Social Services to the squat. I thought I was protecting them.’

‘You were,’ Dougie said, grabbing my arm. ‘It was the right thing to do.’