‘Well, yeah. I suppose. They seem pretty sharp, though.’ I thought of DS Hegarty’s bright green eyes. They hadn’t charged me yet, though, so they obviously hadn’t made their minds up.

‘Well, that is all I can suggest,’ said Jochem. ‘Is there anything else I can help with?’

‘You’re good at finding people, I hear?’

‘I am the best at this, yes.’ Again, very matter-of-fact. ‘Even the police all over the world, they use me. If the person has left any trace online, even in databases, I can find them.’

‘You’re a hacker?’

For the first time, he looked offended. ‘I do not use this term. I am a finder, that is all. And only people who need to be found. I do not find those who need to disappear. I am white-hat not black-hat.’ I had no idea what this meant, but Jeremy was nodding knowledgeably.

‘Jochem – could you have found me? If someone had asked?’

He smiled. ‘Of course, Rachel.’

‘But – how?’ I had been so careful.

‘One moment.’ He tapped away for a few seconds.

I looked at Jeremy, who was grinning. He loved all this. As only someone untouched by actual violent crime could.

‘Yes, here we are,’ said Jochem. ‘You had a bank account in your old name, and you then changed the name on it, using a marriage certificate, in 2006. Then I look for this name and your middle name, and I find you working at the dog shelter in Coldwater.’

I was jolted. ‘That . . . that’s right. But isn’t that all confidential?’

‘It is very easy to get, for someone like me. They do not use the right protections on their systems, the banks and other organisations.’

‘Maybe you can’t tell me this, but – have you ever been asked to find me?’

‘I have not, Rachel. But there are others like me. Maybe not so good, but – you see I found this in seconds.’

Oh God. So I was right – someone from the past could easily have tracked me down. But who? Who on earth would go to such lengths?

freecaseyadams.com, Website (October 2003)