‘I can make a new one. I’m sorry.’

He tuts. ‘It will do.’

‘Let me make you a new one.’ Her voice trembles.

He rolls his eyes again. ‘Chill out! It was a joke.’

Her face scrunches at him with a look fusing hurt and puzzlement.

He resists the urge to laugh and turns back to his article.

Katy’s shadow is still present.

He sighs. ‘What now?’

‘Ed wants me to review your opinion piece.’

Mike’s face tightens.

Katy sniffs. ‘He thinks some of the language might be too strong. He thinks it’s stoking the fire on social media.’

‘Does he now?’

‘He thinks I could help give it a more human angle.’

Mike grits his teeth and gives Katy his most insincere smile. ‘I’ll just finish it off and send it to you.’

Katy’s round, bespectacled face brightens causing his mood to darken further.

‘Thanks Mike. I can’t wait to read it.’

He saves the copy and emails the finished article. In the body of the email he types:

Ed mate,

My opinion piece for tonight’s edition. Let’s go for that beer soon.

Cheers,

Mike.

PS Katy has reviewed and given the OK.

He presses the send button and takes in a mouthful of the coffee, which isn’t half bad. Aside from being annoying and a bit too clever for her own good, the girl can make a good cup of coffee. He would never tell her that, of course. That is beyond him. He reflects for a moment and recalls that he was once like her, although maybe not so green.

His attention turns back to Detective Inspector Archer. He googles her, digs deeper into the search results and stumbles across an article relating to a recent NCA drugs investigation that a certain DS Archer played a significant role in. He reads the article and stops at one line.

DS Grace Archer, the only daughter of deceased DI Sam Archer . . .

Mike feels his heart rate quicken.

He remembers DI Sam Archer.

But more importantly he remembers his daughter and what happened.

That was almost eighteen years ago. It was big news back then.

Hamilton rubs the patchy stubble on his soft grey chin.

It will be big news now considering Miss-Wet-Behind-the-Ears Detective Inspector Grace Archer is the senior investigating officer in charge of the @nonymous murders.

He smiles. It looks like he has his next story.

Chapter 18

18

LUCY ROBINSON IS A TEACHER in a primary school in Shepherd’s Bush. Archer and Quinn stand in the corridor outside her classroom waiting for the lunchtime bell to ring. It clangs and echoes throughout the draughty building and is followed by the scraping of chairs and excited chatter of hungry kids, who file out one by one and make their way to the lunch room under the guidance of a matronly school assistant.