‘If it’s him. Remember, it could be the wife. Jealous lover.’

Kelly’s phone buzzed as they entered the building. The initial homicide assessment on the death of Carry Tomlin was on HOLMES. The dynamic reasoning engine was invaluable for complex cases and Kelly feared that this one only threatened to get weirder and weirder.

‘We’ve got Carry Tomlin on CCTV at a petrol station on the A591 travelling south.’

‘What time?’

‘Yesterday, late morning.’

‘Blimey, they didn’t hang about. That’s odd,’ Demi remarked.

‘What?’ Kelly asked. They took the stairs up to her office.

‘A killer so mature in MO, and one so deliberate and precise, not keeping the crimes hidden, is unusual. I’ve seen cases like this – ritual MOs for example – where the bodies are kept somewhere, or at least hidden for a long period. This is so public that it’s brazen.’

‘Like The Teacher,’ Kelly said. Demi raised her eyebrows. They went into the briefing room and Kelly checked up on the progress of the crime scene processing, the piecing together of Carry Tomlin’s last movements and when the autopsy would be performed. Ted had been supposed to meet Josie to take her ski-outfit shopping and for lunch. She wondered if he’d start work on the body today or not. A quick phone call gave her the answer. Ted said that a post-mortem was already underway on an elderly lady who’d fallen down some steps in her residential care home, and the autopsy of Carry Tomlin was scheduled for first thing tomorrow. There was nothing he could do – half her organs were already on the slab. The inquest was something that Ted had passed to a colleague, but he would perform the operation on the murder victim himself.

‘I’d rather it was me tomorrow than send her elsewhere this afternoon. I’ve looked at the photos carefully and I’ve read the whole report – well, as much as your end was able to send over.’

‘I’ll keep updating you and I’ll talk to you tomorrow, I have to go to Berkshire. Have a good lunch with Josie, give her a kiss from me.’

It was something that Kelly would never have imagined saying a year ago, but now she meant it and it came naturally.

‘I will, I’m going to spoil her.’

‘Like that is surprising.’

‘Why Berkshire?’

‘A psychotic murderer in Broadmoor has been sending me letters referencing the recent killings here. I smell a rat and HQ have agreed that I need to clear it up as a lead.’

‘Psychotic murderers do like you, don’t they? Be careful. Do I know this particular one?’

‘You sure do, it’s Amy Richmond, The Teacher.’

‘Really? Do you have to go? I mean, that was personal, Kelly. I’m not happy at all, what did Johnny say?’