He looks down at the papers in her hand as the room ripples with sighs. I bite back the start of a smile as I clench the icy can in my hand. I’m the only person ever pleased about overnights.

‘First and foremost is the new commissioner’s apology,’ he continues. ‘No one in authority has ever apologised so directly for Operation Andromeda before. Sure, there has been broad acknowledgement of the mistakes that were made originally, but it is truly historic for such a senior officer to take personal responsibility for it—’

‘She’s put herself on the line,’ Olivia interrupts, waving her hands. ‘She’s made it her professional Everest, whether she meant to or not. And we will be holding her accountable, absolutely. I think we need a distinct profile piece on her. Who is Commissioner Anne Jaqlin? Tell the viewer her background, her career progression, why she went into the police force, what we know about her intentions as commissioner…’

I sketch the commissioner in my mind as I listen, all fine pencil strokes, black on white.

‘Absolutely,’ Thomas says, nodding and scribbling. ‘Great idea … brilliant. We’re already putting together a background piece on 127Operation Andromeda itself. To really remind the audience what this is all about. It’s been five years since the last phase of the investigation concluded and the captain was finally convicted. What happened and why? It’s almost written—’

‘We need to drill into the mistakes that we know about,’ Olivia interrupts again. ‘We need to interrogate the laughable defence claim that it was partly down to the pressure of spending cuts. As if the restructuring of the military could ever excuse deviant behaviour such as this. I don’t want to put the audience through another profile of Captain Robert Leigh Parish though. Every single news network will put together a rogue’s gallery of convictions. What about those the Met admitted were beyond their reach? And why?’

Victims were failed. I squirm against the glass wall.

‘Oh, we’ll put all that in, definitely.’ Thomas shuffles his papers as he replies. ‘Of course, we’ll bring you the script to read first.’

‘This is about Gillard Minchin,’ Olivia says, glaring at him. ‘Pure and simple. That’s why they’ve reopened the inquiry. It’s about Minchin. A four-star general, recipient of every award in the book, accused of the most appalling of crimes. Why did the case against him, specifically, collapse? Why was he untouchable? Was Parish the proverbial sacrificial lamb? And what new information has come to light that has enabled the CPS to reopen the case now? Who are we calling on that?’