If Rory had remained on set, the actor and director would never have had the opportunity to get close. Perhaps Rory holds Jay responsible for the tumultuous period in their relationship.

DCI Bob has accepted that Ben is not culpable, as he has an alibi for his whereabouts during the time of Anna’s death. Which leaves Ed as the only other possibility. There is motive there for at least one of the murders; his fractious relationship with Jay is well documented, though why would he kill Anna? He spoke warmly about her and the brief time they spent together on set. He also has no reason to kill his best friend. All signs point to Rory.

I pick up the map for the hundredth time today and survey the dots, peppered around the city like little redcurrants. I try again to find some sort of pattern, some rhyme or reason to his travels.

I use the maps application on my phone to look at the most heavily populated areas of the dots. One of the group of dots is near the ice rink where Anna was murdered, which is also close to Anna’s mother’s house.

It is well documented that serial killers are often drawn back to the scene of their own crimes. Is Rory using his time in the city to visit the place he enacted his ultimate revenge on his cheating fiancée?

The two other groups of dots are in the city centre, the app calculating their distance to be eleven minutes by car.

I make a note of the areas and decide to visit them in the morning.

26

‘Do you recognise this man?’ I ask the receptionist. Her name badge informs us she is called Helen. Her grey hair is short and has been cut with a straight fringe. Large golden hooped earrings rest on her hunched shoulders and wrinkles at the corners of her eyes suggest she may be approaching retirement. She is sat behind a counter in the foyer of a chain hotel. I have just passed her a picture of Rory and she studies it for a minute before nodding her head.

‘Yes,’ she confirms. ‘He stayed here for a number of nights, though he checked out early this morning.’

‘Did you notice anything unusual about him?’ Liam asks.

She shakes her head. She taps a few keys and studies the screen, before shaking her head again. She tells us that he has no notes on his room – no damage, no outstanding bills, nothing of note.

Someone tuts from behind us and I turn to see an agitated man with carefully coiffed hair and round, turtle shell glasses. He is grasping a bright yellow holdall on wheels. Once he sees that we are police and not guests of the hotel who are taking an extraordinary time to check out, he attempts to turn the tutting into a little, relaxed rhythm - without success. He looks away under the weight of my stare.