Bloom and Jameson arrived at Avon and Somerset Police Headquarters in Portishead three hours later. Bloom had collected Jameson from his home in Wembley en route. He had offered to drive, but she didn’t want him coming to her home to collect her. In the five years they’d been working together, he hadn’t visited once. She knew it bugged him.

They were met in reception by DI Carly Mathers. Bloom introduced Jameson, and then they headed to the designated incident room. Chief Superintendent Barker was sitting with half a dozen plain-clothed officers. On the far wall pictures of Faye and Harry Graham, Lana Reid, Grayson Taylor and Stuart Rose-Butler had been stuck to a whiteboard. Under a smiling photograph of Faye and Harry were two gruesome images of Harry’s bloodied body. Below that, Fred and Julia grinned out from their school photograph, their innocent faces unaware of the horrors to come.

‘How are Fred and Julia?’ Bloom asked Mathers.

‘Social Services have placed them in a foster home. Faye’s mother died years ago and her father’s in a home. Harry’s parents live in Spain. They’re flying over this afternoon, so perhaps they’ll take them in.’

‘Good morning,’ said Barker in a manner that demanded attention. ‘Welcome, Dr Bloom – and this must be Mr Jameson.’ Barker shook Jameson’s hand. ‘I’m delighted you’re working with us on this.’

Of course, the case now belonged to the police. Senior officers always took ownership when things became interesting.

Barker continued, ‘Let me introduce the team. You know Detective Inspector Mathers. We also have DS Phil Green.’ Barker gestured to a tall, skinny man in a grey suit that matched the colour of his short hair. DS Green nodded a hello. ‘DC Craig Logan, who is our technical wizard. Anything to do with cybercrime, he’s your man. He’s just finished a secondment with the National Crime Agency in their National Cyber Crime Unit.’

‘Good morning,’ said DC Logan, the youngest person in the room by some margin. He wasn’t much more than twenty-five and his pockmarked skin suggested he had suffered severe acne as a teen.

Barker gestured to another two officers, one male, one female, sitting at the desks behind him. ‘And finally we have DC Raj Akhtar and DC Kaye Willis, two of our most experienced CID officers.’ The two older DCs smiled at Jameson and Bloom. ‘So as I was saying, Dr Bloom leads one of our most popular courses at the National Training Centre on the Psychology of Motivated Crime. I attended three years ago and it was a fascinating and thought-provoking experience. She is also an expert witness for the CPS and along with Mr Jameson here provides specialist investigation support. Is that about right?’ He looked at Bloom.