There was so much going on that it was impossible for me to focus on any one thing. The morning papers, reviewed on the news channels, were all leading with Dave Prentiss’s murder. But they had gone to press before the media got wind of the death threat messages. Now it was an even bigger story and views were being expressed, and questions were being asked.

A politician interviewed on Sky News said it was essential that the Met did not close down the organised crime task force.

‘It would be like surrendering to terrorists,’ he said. ‘We cannot afford to let that happen.’

A prominent media pundit made a comment on the BBC that was picked out as a sound bite by every other news programme.

‘The police are there to catch criminals and protect the public,’ she said. ‘But who protects them when they become the targets?’

It was a question that resonated with all of us and the Home Secretary himself tried to answer it when he was confronted by reporters.

‘This has come as a profound shock,’ he said. ‘The murder of Detective Inspector Prentiss is being given the utmost priority. You can be sure that we will find whoever is responsible and bring them to justice. And we will also do whatever we can to protect other detectives and their families who’ve been threatened.’

Drummond got us all together again after he’d had a meeting with the Commissioner and other top brass. He announced that he’d be taking part in a press conference later in the morning and that the option of winding up the task force and suspending investigations into organised crime would not even be a consideration.

‘You must all realise that despite what has happened to DI Prentiss we can’t possibly throw in the towel,’ he said. ‘It would be like an army walking away from a war because a soldier has been killed. And make no mistake; we are at war with the criminals who are adopting terror tactics in order to remain in power.’

Janet Dean asked him if detectives would be allowed to transfer out of the task force. His answer was a categoric no.

‘It would be a major sign of weakness,’ he said. ‘And it would damage the credibility of the entire force. Once such a precedent is set who knows where it would lead?’

He then invited everyone to update him on all the interviews that had been conducted and the tasks that had been set. I was up first and began by playing the video recording of the interview with Roy Slack.