Detective Sergeant Gina Riley sat across Poppy Waters’ desk in her tiny office on the first floor of Trinity Road police station and placed the bagged evidence from Annie Boyd’s bedroom between them.

‘What have we got here, Gina?’ asked Clay, pulling up a chair and sitting next to Riley.

The wind sobbed at the narrow window overlooking the car park at the back of the police station.

‘The dead woman’s laptops and two iPhones.’

‘What did you make of your visit to her home, Gina?’

‘Young adult living at home with her mother and father. I think she had a secretive side to her.’

‘How do you make that out?’ asked Poppy, a civilian IT expert.

Riley produced a fourth small evidence bag and snapped on a pair of latex gloves. She took out the envelope and pointed out the school address.

‘She’s had her mail sent to her place of work, which says to me she was secretive around her parents.’

Poppy and Clay slipped their hands into latex gloves.

‘Have you seen what’s inside yet?’ asked Clay.

‘No, but I’m about to.’

Clay turned back the flap. ‘It’s not a letter. It looks like a photograph.’

‘Have you noticed anything about the handwriting on the envelope?’ asked Riley.

‘It’s plain block capitals. It’s disguised handwriting.’

Riley smiled bitterly as Clay took the top edge of the photograph from the envelope with the tips of her thumb and index finger.

‘Annie’s friend Cathy confirmed that her best friend had been using Pebbles On The Beach, so I’m guessing this picture came from whoever she’s made contact with on the dating website.’

Clay showed the photograph to Riley and Poppy.

‘Who or what do you see, girls?’ asked Clay.

‘I see a young man who couldn’t possibly have any need to get a girlfriend from an internet dating site,’ said Riley.

Looking at the picture, Clay worked from the top down.

‘Mr Handsome. He’s standing at an angle, most of his face is visible. He’s not looking at the camera but at something or someone, not in the picture, with a great deal of affection. It looks natural and not posed for. It could have been taken without his knowledge and presented to him after the event.

‘Collar-length black hair, handsome enough for TV, smart white shirt and trousers, well-built, muscular but slim. Designer loafers.’

‘See the way his shirt’s turned back to the elbow,’ said Riley. ‘Look at the definition on his forearms. He’s a gym-head.’

She examined the overall image, then focused on the empty space into which he smiled.

‘Someone or something’s been edited out of this image,’ said Clay. ‘I’m sure of it.’

‘What are we going to do with it?’ asked Riley.