‘And I am also certain that Vitrenko has been a psychopath for as long as he can remember. But instead of being treated and controlled, he was sent to elite Soviet military academies where his natural abilities, and psychopathy, were honed.’ Fabel picked up the papers from the table and they made a cone in his fist. He held them out before him as if they were aflame. A burning torch that he held out to his colleagues. ‘Vasyl Vitrenko is the most dangerous individual we have ever had to deal with. He will kill anyone whom he perceives as a threat. And that includes you. And it includes me.’

Fabel couldn’t think what to say next. His mind flooded with the images of the victims, of Vitrenko’s father’s eyes as he had seized Fabel by the throat … the same cold, emerald eyes as his son’s. A shudder ran through him as he imagined Ursula Kastner, Tina Kramer and Angelika Blüm all locking gazes with those stone-cold, glittering eyes as their lives left them. The rest of the team must have each been in some similar, dark place, because the silence remained crystal whole for a few seconds before Maria Klee’s voice shattered it.

‘What about Vitrenko’s father? Did you bring him in?’

Fabel shook his head.

‘But he assaulted a senior police officer. You. We can’t let him away with that.’

‘I can and I have. It was me he assaulted and I’ve called off the search for him. He has agreed to contact me whenever we need to share information again. I honestly believe he just wants his son stopped.’ As he spoke, the first e-mail echoed in his mind: You can stop me, but you will never catch me.

‘And what is Vitrenko’s father doing in the meantime?’ Maria’s frown lay somewhere on the edge of a scowl.

‘He is doing exactly what we are doing: he is trying to find and stop Vitrenko.’

‘And what if he catches our guy first?’ Werner picked up Maria’s thread.

Fabel remembered asking the old man the same question as they had stepped out of the Portakabin and into the echoing gloom of the warehouse. The Ukrainian had turned to Fabel and said, in a quiet, flat voice: ‘Then I will end it.’

Fabel locked eyes with Werner and lied. ‘He has given me his word that he will hand Vitrenko and any evidence he finds over to us. That is why I do not want him picked up. I want him treated as a key informant. Okay?’ Fabel leaned forward again, knuckles on the table, his face set hard and tight over his tiredness. ‘I need things to start happening now. Firstly, I want the Eitels brought in for questioning. Now. If they protest then I want them arrested on suspicion of being accessories to murder. And Werner, get the corporate and financial crime guys to put together the questions they want to ask them. A joint interview would be good.’