They parked in front of a large garage, and all four men got out. The RMPs carried weapons with the safety on. They had been warned of a moderate threat. They walked up to the front door and rang the bell, then knocked on the solid wooden door. All the shutters were closed.

There was no answer.

The RMPs set off around the building, banging on doors and windows as they went.

Nothing.

Round the back, there was a pool and a pool house, which was open. They went to knock on the glass screen, pulling back when they heard the sound of growling.

Three wild dogs were gorging on two bloated bodies. The first man inside retched and coughed as he cocked his weapon.

‘Jesus! Get down!’

The Intel officers darted for cover inside an outdoor kitchen and hid behind the counter. The two RMPs radioed their base at Dhekelia, but not before firing their weapons to scare off the dogs. The animals whimpered away, but hung about in the yard.

The RMPs walked closer: one spoke into his radio. ‘One deceased male. Thirties. Dark hair. Resembles Alexandros Skarparis. One deceased female. Sixties. Resembles Rosa Skarparis.’

The intel officers poked their heads above the counter.

‘Don’t worry, apart from these two, I think we’re alone. We’ll check the house. Looks like business has been taken care of. I’m sure we won’t find anyone still here.’

The first intel officer looked at the corpses. He was no expert, but they hadn’t been dead long. The dogs had taken a few chunks, but they were recognisable. It was a sobering sight. He looked straight into the eyes of the woman, and wondered if she’d suffered.

All the conversation in the car seemed suddenly irrelevant as he remembered how his companion had said they should eat a good lunch before setting off to the mountains. He shuddered to think that that two-hour delay might have been the difference between life and death for the mother and son on the floor in front of him.

He shut the pool house door to make sure the dogs couldn’t get back in, and sat down outside. The image of dead bodies surrounded by pools of their own blood, being gnawed on by wild dogs, was something he hadn’t signed up for.

Chapter 54

Graeme took Kelly’s call just before five o’clock. He’d had to cover for two members of staff who were sick. He itched to get back to Tilly, but Kelly said she’d sent a squad car earlier and everything seemed fine. She agreed to send another one and knock this time. Meanwhile Graeme called the cottage. Tilly sounded miserable.

‘I keep hearing noises out the back.’

‘What type of noises?’

‘I don’t know. I went out to check, but there was nothing there.’