‘Wait. I know it looks like I’m going crazy. The pentagram is a five-pointed star, and all of these occultists agree on one thing: it’s a magic symbol. The pentacle is a pentagram inside a circle and it’s also the sign of the five elements: earth, water, air, fire and spirit.’

She took another stick of dried spaghetti and crossed it the other way, completing the saltire. The axis crossed through plenty of notable places, as well as some more obscure.

‘Have you got any string?’ she asked.

‘Somewhere, probably.’

Johnny rooted through drawers and found some. Kelly got some scissors and placed them on the table, next to the map. She took a roll of string and made a circle, using the axis of the saltire as a guide. She made sure that the edge of the circle touched Braithwaite and Thirlmere car park, and adjusted the spaghetti to pinpoint two locations on the opposite axis.

‘It’s impossible,’ she sighed and sat down heavily. ‘I thought I could use the major points of the pentagram to predict where the next victim is in danger.’

‘Really? Are you that sure?’

‘It makes complete sense, but it’s impossible to be accurate. I need to get it on to a computer programme and Rob is the man for the job. I need to go.’

‘You said a pentagram is five pointed: what about the fifth point?’ he asked.

‘It’s the top. The head. It’s the main element of spirit. Looking at this, it suggests somewhere around Lonscale Fell, which is about as precise as saying “somewhere on Helvellyn”. Do you think I’m being ridiculous?’ she asked.

‘It’s not like you to question your instinct. If your gut is telling you this, then I’d go with it. There’s nothing more bizarre than what goes on in the human brain. You can’t not investigate it.’

‘I looked into that other animal cruelty case you told me about. You know the one at High Rigg five years ago?’

‘Yes, that’s right. You said there was another, at Birkett Mire?’

‘Yes, and the same name came up in both. I would never have made that connection if it wasn’t for that conversation.’

‘There you go, that’s one more step closer. How was the person involved?’

‘I’m not sure, but when the same name pops up in two investigations, it raises suspicion. There’s no trace of addresses or phone numbers though. He might as well be a phantom, like Kirk Junker.’

‘You still looking for him?’

Kelly nodded, packing her bag.

‘Kelly,’ Johnny said. She looked at him and saw that he was fiddling with one of the pieces of spaghetti. She went to the table and looked at where he was pointing his finger on the map.

‘That’s Birkett Mire, and next to it is the Threlkeld Quarry. It fits the circle.’