Page 83 of The Final Vow (Washington Poe #7)

The press turned. The press always turned.

It’s what they did. Yesterday’s darling is today’s villain.

Build them up so we can knock them back down.

A curiously sustainable business model. They interviewed people who knew Poe.

They interviewed people who didn’t know him.

Talking heads, all puffed up on faux anger.

They camped outside Highwood. They went to his local and spoke to the landlord.

Apparently, Poe was persona non grata now.

They even door-stepped Doyle as she left her hotel in Phoenix.

The idiot who refused to step aside got a stiletto down the shin for his troubles.

Reckless!

How does this man still have a job?!

They delved into his past. Into his previous cases.

Trashed his reputation. They downplayed his role while highlighting Bradshaw’s extraordinary achievements.

They claimed he’d built up his reputation on her giant shoulders.

That he’d used her. That he had faked their friendship for the glory their combined casework was bringing him.

They built her into the hero she undoubtedly was, but never wanted to be.

The Daily Mirror led the calls for a posthumous George Medal, one of the UK’s highest awards for civilian gallantry, and all the tabloids jumped on the bandwagon.

The George Cross Committee explained that the medal recognised the bravery of people who put themselves at risk.

And while they understood the nation’s zeitgeist, being murdered didn’t qualify.

Defund the George Cross Committee!

Within a week, Poe was the most reviled person in the UK. It wasn’t until the Sunday Times exposed another BBC paedophile that the press moved on.

Poe saw none of this. He didn’t read any newspapers and he ignored the social media bunfight.

He issued no statement and he made no public appearances.

Immediately after Bradshaw’s death had been announced on television, he returned to Highwood.

He refused to leave the grand old house, not even for fresh air.

Leaving the house was a faff for the cops tasked with keeping him alive.

Ezekiel Puck was still out there. Better for everyone if Poe stayed inside.

He withdrew into himself. He stopped eating. He lost weight, became gaunt.

And eventually he got the call.

‘I’m on my way,’ he said.