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convictions for sexual offences against children.’
    Even though some in the room already knew about the deceased’s murky past, Harry sensed a change in atmosphere. He was expecting it but recognized it wasn’t his imagination getting
the better of him.
    Detective Constable Gabrielle Royston, who sat to Harry’s right, looked up from taking notes and pursed her lips. DC Sophia Ireland next to Gabrielle let out a barely audible sigh and put
her pen down on the virgin page of her A4 notebook. From the corner of his eye, Harry saw one or two of the others shift from side to side in their seats.
    ‘We’re professionals,’ he said, but allowed the words to hang in the air. ‘Whatever our personal views and opinions, we investigate this just the same as we would any
other suspicious death or murder. It’s especially important that you keep your wits about you on this job because early indications from the crime scene are that we’re looking for two
people who broke in and murdered him.’
    Once more he scanned the room.
    ‘Fortunately for me and the people of East Rise, I know that our victim’s past, and the fact that more than one person took his life, won’t affect how you handle your jobs or
yourselves.’ Harry took a silent deep breath, looked down and said, ‘This is a very emotive enquiry. It doesn’t need me to tell you that.’
    Now he scrutinized the expressions, trying to read them as each of them concentrated on his every word.
    ‘Anyone who has an issue with this enquiry can speak to me after this briefing in private. I need you all, not to mention other officers in the morning, but only if you’re prepared
to put aside any prejudices and show the commitment you’ve demonstrated on so many previous occasions.’
    The detective inspector gauged how his team were feeling from his chosen few words and opted to leave it there. Overdoing it would serve no useful purpose.
    The end of a briefing usually signalled the start of the next step: everyone with their task to perform, targets set until the next time they came together to lay their piece of the puzzle next
to their colleague’s, waiting for the moment when it all made sense. This was what drove Harry and made him as committed to his job as he was.
    Tonight’s briefing, however, was different.
    It signalled the beginning of something in complete contrast to anything that had come before.
    He felt forced to go against all he believed in and enlist the help of those he despised the most. He struggled to remember a day when he felt more disgusted with what he was about to do.

Chapter 12
    ‘What do you make of all that?’ asked Sophia as she strode beside Gabrielle trying to keep up as they made their way along the department’s deserted corridor
through to the main part of the incident room. Their movement tripped lights as they went, illuminating the cheap blue carpet tiles. The aged floorboards squeaked mercilessly.
    ‘How do you mean?’ said the DC who was slightly younger in both years and police experience than her colleague, but somewhat taller. She ran a hand over her immaculate
shoulder-length blonde hair and looked down towards Sophia.
    When they reached the incident room, Gabrielle made for a desk with Sophia trailing behind her. They ended up at adjacent computer terminals and Sophia immediately leaned across
Gabrielle’s desk and said, ‘As if we wouldn’t give this job our all, the same as any other.’
    She couldn’t fail to register that Gabrielle kept her ice-blue eyes straight ahead, focused entirely on the screen in front of her. For several seconds she thought that she wasn’t
going to get a response.
    ‘He was a nonce though,’ said Gabrielle in a voice so low Sophia was now almost shoulder to shoulder with her so that she could catch her words.
    ‘But he went to prison for what he did,’ said Sophia, unable to keep her own voice as hushed.
    Sophia’s head snapped in Tom Delayhoyde’s direction as he