When Nikki arrived at the station, the car park was heaving with vehicles, police officers and volunteers, all heading out to the marshes and the places that were impossible to search at night.

‘Nothing yet?’ she asked a weary-looking Dave Harris.

‘No, ma’am. The second wave is just moving out now. They are still concentrating on the campus and the marshlands around the sea-bank, where her phone was found.’ Dave yawned. ‘Now you’re back, Guv, I’ll take a bit of a break, if that’s okay?’

Nikki pushed her way between a group of searchers in high-vis jackets, and into the foyer. ‘Have you been here all night?’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘But what about—’ Nikki frowned and lowered her voice. ‘Sorry, but shouldn’t you have gone home long before this?’

‘She’s okay, ma’am, but thanks for thinking of us.’ He gave her a tired smile. ‘I’ve arranged a carer, just to cover me, short-term like.’

‘Surely there’s enough bodies here to comb the fens without you.’

‘Can’t dodge the issue when there’s a kid missing, can I, Guv? And I wouldn’t want to either.’

Nikki lightly touched the big man’s arm. ‘I know, but you have your own problems, and they don’t go away because something big is going down here. You go get some sleep, and look after yourself, you hear?’

Nikki watched him go, his shoulders sloping down and his step more a shuffle than a stride. She was the only one who knew about his home life, and she really felt for him.

‘Ma’am?’ Joseph was striding up the corridor. ‘Got you a coffee.’

‘What the hell time did you get in?’ She asked with something like annoyance.

‘Ten minutes ago.’ He balanced the mugs in one hand and held the office door open for her with the other. ‘Did you sleep?’

‘No.’ She said sharply, wishing she could tell him that he was partly to blame for her insomnia. ‘I’ve sent Dave home. Is Cat still here?’

‘Yup. She’s on to something regarding the components required to make rubber masks. She’s found a wholesaler of the raw materials.’

‘Good, and what did you find out from the victim of yesterday’s knife attack?’

Joseph stared at her thoughtfully for a moment, then flopped into a chair. ‘Well, the masks really do just turn up. Dumped around the estate or in schools or recreation grounds. Callum swears that no one knows where they come from.’

‘And you believe him?’

‘No reason not to.’ Joseph sipped his coffee. ‘He started off all tough, then when he realized I was prepared to take residence beside his bed, he started talking, probably just to get rid of me.’

Nikki gave a long sigh. ‘So he’s told you nothing that we didn’t already know.’

‘Not quite. He gave me a name.’

‘What?’ She leant forward eagerly.