The words came out as a low murmur. ‘The Kirk is my mother and father. It is my rod and my staff. My shield and my sword. What I do in its service lights a fire in God’s name.’

‘The witches worked for a rival drug gang, I get that, but what did Roy Forman do? Did he see something he shouldn’t? Was Anthony dealing at the soup kitchen and he found out? Is that why you burned him? ’

Agnes peered up at Logan from behind her curtain of hair. ‘Burned? ’

‘Necklaced. Staked to the ground with a tyre wedged over—’

‘No!’ She shook her head. ‘The trial by fire is barbaric. A stain on the Kirk.’

‘But he was—’

‘Rowan would never do that.’ She shuddered. ‘Not ever.’

Logan stared at her. ‘You didn’t burn Roy Forman? ’

Sodding hell.

Steel scowled at him, mouth pulled down, making the wrinkles stand out. ‘Well, of course she’d say that, wouldn’t she? ’

‘Why? She’s got nothing to gain – she’s already admitted to torturing three people to death, robbing graves, and trying to drown Chalmers. She knows she’s going to spend the next twenty to thirty years in a secure psychiatric ward. What’s one more death? ’

‘Arrrgh. . .’ Steel slapped both hands over her face then folded over until her head rested on her desk. The words came out all muffled. ‘You’re no’ seriously suggesting we’ve still got some mentalist out there burning people? ’

He pulled out his phone and got Control to put him on to PC Sim.

Not answering her Airwave handset. Try her house instead.

She picked up on the seventh ring. ‘Oh, come on, can’t I even have one day off? I got shot yesterday!’

‘You’ve read Witchfire—’

‘Yes, I’m feeling much better, thanks for asking. The stitches itch a bit where a shotgun went off in my face, and my whole chest is one big bruise, but other than that. . .’

‘Do you want me to send Steel over to kiss it better? ’

A pause. ‘Urgh. . . I think I just threw up a bit in my mouth.’

Steel peered up at him between her fingers. ‘What am I kissing now? ’

‘The necklacing – trial by fire – does Rowan ever do it? ’

‘No. That’s all Mrs Shepherd. Rowan doesn’t believe in witches so the whole burning people thing sickens her. . . Why? ’

Of course it did. ‘Thanks. Enjoy your time off, OK? ’ He hung up.

If Rowan wouldn’t do it, Agnes Garfield wouldn’t either. . . But maybe a method-acting nut-bag would. The kind of person who’d go all the way to Iowa to learn about witchcraft. The kind of person who thought they had to live the role in order to play the character. The kind of person who could turn up at a soup kitchen and abduct someone like Roy Forman.