On the sheep, the marks had been put down to farmer branding. It was common amongst sheep farmers in the fells, whose flocks wandered freely, to brand them with either dye (a more modern method) or branding. The sheep were shorn and so no colour identification had been visible, giving rise to disputes between farmers who reported their livestock missing. However, what was visible were arrangements of crude markings on the undersides of the carcasses. The marks had scabbed and so it was clear that they’d been inflicted before the animals died. Some of the cats bore the same emblems etched into their skin. Kelly clicked on the original veterinary reports and looked for any mention of the other wildlife, notably birds.

She came across a photograph of a mound of feathers and, on closer inspection, realised that it was a pile of dead birds. She knew without checking that the birds were wrens. Suddenly she was taking an interest in birding. She could easily tell because of the distinctive golden stripe that could be taken for a ring above their eyes, as well as their razor-sharp tiny beaks, delicately poking above the pile of rotting corpses. It was a tragic pose. Legend had the golden ring revered as a crown: thus the regal title of king arose. Kelly pondered that such a gathering of birds would have to be caught, just like Mary’s wrens. From what Sandra told her, they wouldn’t allow themselves to be tricked en masse like that; it would take incredible knowledge, experience and skill. They were quick and agile animals. The same was true of cats; though a few tasty nibbles under a basket would be enough to con the felines. The sheep would be easy to herd.

She studied the marks on the remains. She was sure she was looking at various arrangements of triangles. She compared them to the marks found on Mary Hales’ animals and they were similar. Some of the triangles were upside down, and some had lines through them. The vet at the time had noted his findings, but the pressure on the police department then, of cases involving humans, took over, and the animal cruelty investigation took a back seat.

She googled triangular symbols, and the element of sulphur popped up on an alchemic table: just as the vet who wrote the report about Mary Hales’ animals had said. Underneath, though, were links to other triangular symbols, and they made up the four characters of the elements: earth, air, water and fire. She compared them to the photographs taken in 2005. She was able to identify all four elements in the photographs and decided to get the same vet who autopsied Mary Hales’ animals to go over the case. Emma was still working on the 2013 file from High Rigg. The more Kelly learned the more she became convinced that the animals were key to understanding this case.