‘Thanks,’ he said, taking a sip, then reached for the spiral-bound notebook on his bedside cabinet. ‘He’s a slippery old fish, that’s for sure. He didn’t answer a single question with a straight answer. He was all philosophical shit and metaphor, but my research suggests that’s to be expected.’

Bloom nodded. ‘Most psychopaths love playing conversational games in order to control and manipulate.’

‘But he took your concern for your missing niece at face value, at least for a while. I think he gave a few things away early on.’

She knew Jameson would notice the slip-ups, but it was always good to have her high expectations confirmed. ‘Go on,’ she said.

‘He didn’t dispute having played the game. He’s a self-obsessed narcissist with an ego the size of his bank balance. And coupled with the charm offensive and question-dodging, that makes it look like he’s a psychopath.’

‘You almost sound like a psychologist.’

Jameson looked up from his pad with a raised eyebrow. ‘Was that a joke, Dr Bloom?’

She waved his comment away. ‘He was completely calm throughout. He treated us like old friends, and then he simply switched it off. And when these people look at you with that stare, it’s cold and empty. It spooked Craig.’

Jameson nodded. ‘So no more doubts. The game targets psychopaths.’

‘I’d say so. Although why he returned home after six weeks while others have been missing for months is strange …’

‘OK. So it’s a game for psychopaths. Or budding psychopaths, people with psychopathic traits. And whatever it entails, they enjoy it. That’s the other big thing he revealed.’

‘Indeed. In rather flowery language.’

Jameson read from his pad. ‘Jaunt, exploration, journey of self-discovery, recharging the batteries, regaining focus. He said it was about life, love and loss. And that the smarter you are, the easier the game.’

‘“Smart people are always fine, no matter what the challenges,”’ said Bloom. ‘I think the challenges are a crucial component.’

‘So they’re set a series of challenges?’

Bloom thought about it. ‘For this type of person to want to compete, there’d need to be a real sense of achievement at the end. The game would need to be highly competitive … So players either feel they’re winning against other people or there are substantial rewards. There needs to be a kick-back.’

‘Any word from Barker?’ asked Jameson.

‘They didn’t get anything else from Llewellyn. Barker wants to try again with one of the other returned players, but my guess is that as soon as Llewellyn left that police station he alerted everyone. The shutters will be down. We aren’t going to be able to infiltrate the game. There’s no way to get you in.’

‘Look,’ said Jameson, turning up the volume of the TV.