‘Any freak who has sixty quid to spare and fancies looking like a flesh-eating nightmare from hell, I suppose.’

‘Sixty quid!’

‘Get one of your own design made up, and it will be more like a hundred.’

Dave closed the catalogue. ‘Well, whoever is spreading ours around the town didn’t spend that kind of money, surely?’

‘Of course not. These tacky things …’ she pointed to the dead-rat-man mask on the desk, ‘… are rubber, and nowhere near the quality of this.’ She jabbed a finger at the brochure. ‘What I’m saying is that it is possible to get these things made to order. And Jimmy told me you can even get a DVD from the Internet that tells you how to mould and cast your own. Not an easy process, but it can be done. Maybe I’ll download it and find out what equipment you need. Checking out the suppliers could be my next avenue to follow.’ She picked up the magazine and flicked through it. ‘Wow! Gorgeous outfit! I wonder how you would get that on or, more to the point, how you’d get it off.’

‘Please!’ Dave closed his eyes. ‘Remember my heart!’

Cat grinned and shut the book. ‘Okay, in the interests of your cardiac health, I’ll change the subject slightly. Has anyone got any further with the name Griffyx?’

Dave shook his head. ‘No, nothing. I’ve Googled it myself but can’t find anything on any variation of spelling.’

‘Means nothing to me, but I can ask around on the streets.’

‘I wouldn’t. Well not until you run it past the Guv’nor. Don’t want to give anything away. So far, it’s the only info we’ve had on the damned things.’

‘Yeah, you’re probably right. Maybe I’ll try a few searches of my own. It sounds like something from a computer game to me.’ She logged into her computer and while she waited for the search engine, said, ‘So, what do you think of the new boy?’

‘Sergeant Easter? Well, not what I was expecting, that’s for sure. Seems okay. And so far, pretty resistant to the boss’s acid tongue.’

‘Well, I think he’s hot! If he’s what religion is about, Hallelujah! I’m converted.’

‘You are a lost cause, Cat Cullen. And I’d keep that observation to yourself, if I were you. If anyone hears you talking like that, they’ll have you up for discrimination of one sort or another.’

‘Okay, okay, you boring old fart! But I still think he’s hot. Now, let me try. Come on, Mr Griffyx, show yourself.’ She punched in another search and sat back to watch the monitor screen. ‘You know, it’s weird when you think about it.’

Dave looked up.