Bloom heard footsteps on the landing outside her room. She’d been dreaming about trains and bridges and smashed-up bodies. She sat up and blinked at the clock beside her bed. The small white cube her grandfather had given to her for her tenth birthday. 5.13am. The footsteps came closer and she sat up, scanning her childhood bedroom for a weapon. A rarely played guitar leaned against the wall in the far corner. There was a letter opener still in the drawer of her dressing table. Look at the damage Seraphine Walker had achieved with a sharpened pencil. She’d been a quick thinker with an exceptional knowledge of human anatomy and the sort of dispassionate ruthlessness that chilled Bloom to the bone. The idea that there were hundreds of Seraphines playing games with other people’s lives, games like the one they had played last night, made Bloom both anxious and furious.

She paused for a second as an idea began to form.

There was a gentle rap on her door. ‘Augusta?’

She’d forgotten that Marcus was staying.

‘Come in,’ she called. She could see from the light in the hall that he was wearing only a T-shirt and his boxers.

‘Have you seen your WhatsApp?’ he said.

She reached for her phone. She always set it on silent when she went to bed.

Jameson took a few steps into the room and then paused. Bloom flicked on the bedside light and he looked deftly around the space, taking it in, no doubt revelling in the insight into her youth. She expected him to make some sarcastic remark about the girly decor, but he didn’t. Which meant that whatever was in the WhatsApp message was not good.

She clicked on the icon and saw only one new message in a newly created group consisting of her, Jameson and one blocked number. The title of the group was ‘Dare to Play?’ She looked at Jameson briefly before reading the message.

Blocked

Dear Dr Bloom and Mr Jameson. You are clearly intrigued by our activities and we have been impressed with your tenacious deductions.

So we wanted to afford you the courtesy of an invite.

Dare to Play?

5:00am

‘What do we say?’ said Jameson.

‘I take it you want to reply with a yes?’

Jameson shrugged. ‘I thought bring it on had a nice ring to it.’

‘Of course you did.’ Bloom clicked on the text box and typed a reply.

Bloom

I thought we were already playing.

5:17am

Jameson read it. ‘Or that could work.’

Bloom looked down at the screen, waiting for a reply.

Blocked

Whatever would give you that impression, Dr Bloom?

5:18am

Let me show you what it’s really like to play.

5:18am

Bloom and Jameson looked at each other. Then Jameson began to type his own message.

Jameson

And who is ‘we’?

5:19am

Blocked

That, Mr Jameson, is for me to know, and you to find out … if you can …

5:20am