Of course! Mary Estelle Graves’s novel. The film was a loose adaptation of A Spell of Darkness, removed from its original turn-of-the-century setting, relocated to 1962, and filled with the energy of that period. Yes, it was filmed in a different house, with actors playing the Graves children, but, still, this was Bridlemere in spirit. A realm of clues, of half-glimpsed shapes in the dark. What was it they said at the end of movies?

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

But sometimes it was deliberate, a metaphor.

The teenage boy in the film was called Kenneth. The three sisters: Ivy, Samantha and Belle. Three sisters, not two. Belle was the youngest by a good few years. Did she represent Adeline Graves? Hobbes found that his whole being was focused on her every appearance, every word she spoke.

But then Collingworth spoke at his side, breaking the spell. ‘There’s my boy now.’

George Collingworth played a minor character: one scene, only a few lines of dialogue. A visitor to the house who was teased by Samantha Parnell, and made fun of by Kenneth. But Hobbes could sense that Jack had relaxed a little, as this scene played out. His next line came in a whisper: ‘This was the last proper thing he did in life, appear in this film.’

Hobbes didn’t say anything.

‘I did some digging around, after Georgie’s death, but I could never find any trace of Nick Greaves.’

‘No, it was a pseudonym. His real name is Nicholas Graves.’

‘He’s involved in your case, is he?’

‘He’s the victim.’

Collingworth nodded. Now that his son’s appearance was over, he’d lost interest in the film. A few minutes later he left the room and closed the door behind him. Hobbes carried on alone. His eyes drank in the beauty of what he was seeing, the madness, the surreal nature of the poetic images, the startling changes of mood and perspective.

He witnessed the image he had viewed all those years ago, when he’d walked in on DI Collingworth and seen him crying. It was shortly after the character played by George had left the house.

A series of rapid jump cuts.

A dress lying on a table.

All the Parnells standing around.

Ivy Parnell using a pair of scissors to slice into the dress, at the midriff.

Samantha painting the cut with either blood or red paint.

Kenneth picking up the dress and hanging it from a hook on the wall.

Belle Parnell staring at the dress, her eyes wide.

The clock ticking, the sound of it overly loud.

A sudden splash of blood on Ivy’s face.

A few more shots of the corridors of the house, a shadowy figure walking them, candle in hand. It was Belle. She sat on the floor of a bare room and placed the candle beside her. A flickering circle of light. Five small objects were placed one by one on the floorboards.

A cigarette card depicting a famous actress.