‘They’re more often than not a shade of grey,’ she said. ‘This one is a classic question mark. There doesn’t seem to have been a crime committed but I work backwards, discounting theories rather than creating them. I suppose you expected every crime to have a degree attached too, so each job is easily dished out? I get it. I won’t be able to tell unless I meet her.’

‘Do you ever just find something odd?’ he asked.

‘All the time! Nothing is ever straightforward. A smoking gun would be lovely, wouldn’t it? There’s something about this woman who just fancied a naked walk into a field at dawn.’

‘Running from something?’

‘Maybe. Always keep an open mind.’

She parked undercover and they got out. The woman was being evaluated on the female medical ward, and she’d been removed to a private room because she was disturbing the other patients with her bizarre behaviour: apparently she’d taken to pacing up and down the corridors, grabbing on to people and scaring them. She’d even done it to visitors. She’d also taken to drawing with her finger on the floor, but no one could make out what she was trying to produce: a picture or words. She’d been given paper but had refused it.

They reached the ward and two nurses blushed and stared at Rob. Kelly was used to it; he was a good looking young man, as well as tall and strong. If he noticed, he didn’t show it. Kelly showed her badge and they were asked to wait to speak to the ward sister. Kelly hated hospitals but this one held a special place of loathing in her heart. It wasn’t just where her mother had died, it was also where Amy Richmond worked as a nurse, giving her direct access to her unsuspecting victims. She shivered as she recalled the day she knew that the killer had been in her mother’s room, and made them tea. It was also the site of some spectacular fallouts with her sister, Nikki.

A stocky woman in her fifties came towards them with glasses perched on the end of her nose; she looked over them towards the detectives and outstretched her hand. ‘Sister Cane.’ Kelly hesitated momentarily.

Kelly took her hand and shook it, looking to Rob to copy. Even the middle-aged senior nurse looked a little coy when she took Rob’s hand. Kelly rolled her eyes.

‘Any news on the mystery woman?’ Kelly asked.

‘Carla Rigg?’

‘Nice, who thought that up?’ asked Kelly. It was common for unidentified victims to be given pet names.

‘One of the consultants, he’s a bit of a walking encyclopaedia and he said that Carles Rigg was the ancient Celtic name for the circle. Who knew?’

‘Who has time to know?’ Rob said.