‘I think it would be sensible to pursue all three for the sake of open-mindedness. But there’s one more element that I think adds weight to the third option.’ Bloom reached into her handbag and pulled out a card she’d bought at the petrol station. It had a picture on the front of a bunny driving a red train and at the top it said, YOU ARE ONE. ‘I think “Happy First Birthday” is a play on words, or perhaps even a joke. I think it sends a message; it says, “I’ve been watching you and have identified that you are one.” Being chosen would make the dare even more intoxicating to a self-centred, highly competitive risk-taker.’

DC Kaye Willis leaned forward in her seat. ‘You’re saying we have four psychopaths out there playing some sick game and no idea why?’

Jameson smiled at Willis and then looked at Bloom. ‘Oh no. What Dr Bloom is saying is that someone is selecting psychopaths to play a game, and that an estimated one per cent of the population are psychopaths. So we have way in excess of four players. If she’s right, of course.’

There was total silence.

21

With the girls at school, Claire’s kitchen looked much less cluttered: no toys on the floor or crayons covering the table. ‘So where’s Jane gone?’ Jameson asked.

‘Shopping in town with her friends. Not that she has any money, poor thing. I’ve given her twenty quid but that won’t get much more than some lunch, will it? Tell me, what’s with all the secrecy? Why I need to speak to you in private?’ Claire asked, deepening her voice in a pretty convincing impression of her brother.

Jameson suppressed his rising panic. He didn’t like the idea of Jane being out unsupervised. Faye had murdered her husband. Could Lana hurt her own daughter?

‘It’s our latest theory. There’s a chance Lana might have been selected to play this game because of her personality type.’

‘What d’you mean?’

‘You know the stuff you’ve been complaining about? That she’s an irresponsible mother, that she drinks too much and has crazy one-night stands. There may be more to it.’

‘Go on.’ Claire slurped her tea noisily, just like their mother.

‘You’re not going to like this, sis, but Lana’s been lying for years. She’s never been deployed oversees by the Army because she’s never been in the Army, or the Navy, or the RAF, or any military organization for that matter.’

Claire held the mug below her mouth. ‘What?’

‘She’s not and never has been employed by the military or the government, neither overtly nor covertly. An old colleague I worked with at River House checked every database. He ran her information through all their systems using personal details, photo recognition, biometrics such as fingerprints and DNA – and nothing.’