Detective Inspector Carly Mathers from the Child Protection Team sat on a large cushioned chair looking down at her phone. Bloom could see through an internal window behind her that a standard square office next door had been furnished with comfy chairs and decorated in soft yellows and greens. An Ikea shelving unit along the side wall was filled with books and toys and the window was framed with bright-green curtains. On the floor a large round mat in the same bright green covered half of the carpet. An un-uniformed woman sat in one of the chairs and on the mat sat a boy of around eight or nine, and a younger girl. They were building towers of Lego.

‘Carly, can I introduce Dr Bloom?’

The DI sprang from her seat and deposited her phone in her jacket pocket in one smooth movement. ‘Good morning, Sir,’ she said to her boss. She turned to face Bloom. ‘Dr Bloom, DI Mathers.’ She held out her hand. Mathers was tall, with her hair cut in a no-nonsense chin-length bob. She wore a smart shirt and trouser suit, tailored but not overly so. It was a look Bloom recognized. She had taken the same approach herself years ago when working to gain the respect of her mainly male police colleagues.

Bloom shook her hand. ‘Thank you for letting me sit in.’

‘The Chief Super said we’d be foolish not to.’

Bloom saw the quickly masked look of irritation on the DI’s face. She couldn’t blame the woman. DI Mathers was highly trained and no doubt very competent, and there was nothing more irritating than a boss telling you how to do your job or, God forbid, suggesting that you might need help. ‘I’ll endeavour not to interfere with your investigation, Detective Inspector. I’m here because Harry Graham’s wife, Faye, is someone we’ve been trying to trace.’

‘Yes, I heard Mrs Graham had been reported missing. Do you think this is related?’

‘I’ve no idea at the moment.’

DI Mathers nodded slowly. ‘I heard about a game. What is it? A Blue-Whale-type thing?’

‘Blue Whale? What’s that?’ asked Chief Superintendent Barker.

‘It’s an online Russian suicide game that’s resulted in over a hundred deaths,’ replied Mathers. Bloom wasn’t surprised that the Child Protection Team had been briefed on Blue Whale.

‘Goodness,’ said Chief Superintendent Barker.

‘There are some sick bastards out there.’ DI Mathers rolled her shoulders. ‘They get these kids to do tasks that keep them up and make them sleep-deprived, then when they’ve got them hooked, they tell them to top themselves.’

Bloom spoke up. ‘It’s awful and we’re hoping what we’re looking at is nothing like that, but this thing with Harry Graham—’

‘That’s not what we have here. A suicide,’ said Chief Superintendent Barker.