Throwing back the covers she got out of bed and went to join Yuki in the living room, feeling better than she had done for days.

‘You better?’ Yuki asked putting her phone aside for a moment. ‘You look better.’

‘I’m doing okay.’ Tilly even managed a small smile.

‘I still fink you go home.’ Yuki frowned. ‘Need family now. Not Yuki.’

‘You’re very sweet and I appreciate your concern, but I have to stay. At least for a little while.’

‘Family come here?’ Yuki asked.

‘They said they might, but they had everything planned for Christmas at home. I told them I’d be fine and we could catch up in the New Year. I don’t want to ruin their plans.’

‘More body.’ Yuki pointed at the television, which was on mute. ‘Man found by lake.’

‘Yes, I know,’ Tilly said quietly.

‘Yuki no like Cambridge now. Yuki think China better.’ She smiled.

‘Are you leaving?’ Tilly was shocked.

‘No. But me no go out alone. Not safe.’ She waggled her finger. ‘Not at night. Not in day.’

‘Are you frightened?’ Tilly sat down next to her flatmate and crossed her legs beneath her.

‘Yes. You?’ Yuki tucked her dark hair behind her ears.

‘Terrified.’ Tilly smiled weakly.

‘Good. Scared good. Brave, silly. You stay with Yuki. We be safe.’

The women hugged, and Tilly felt grateful that she had Yuki in her life.

Barrett stood in front of his team in the incident room and held court. ‘Good morning, everyone. I know we’re all tired, but I’d appreciate your attention.

‘Yesterday evening the body of Mr Edward Kilpatrick was discovered by Burwell Fishing Lake. Just like the first two victims the little finger on his right hand had been removed. Not only that, but the lyric of a children’s nursery rhyme was cut into his chest.’

Barrett turned to face the whiteboard behind him and wrote the words, ‘once I caught a fish alive’ in red pen.

‘We now have a partial understanding of the relevance of removing the fingers. The fact that Mr Kilpatrick was murdered next to a fishing lake must also mean something to our killer.

‘As of yesterday evening, we have established that Dennis Wade and Edward Kilpatrick were acquaintances. Also, this morning, DI Palmer learned that Wendy Matlock worked at the golf course where the men played golf together.

‘We’ve been through the victims’ history and there doesn’t appear to be a particular link to fishing. The link is the golf club.

‘While interviewing the golf club manager, DI Palmer learned a few more things regarding Dennis Wade’s past, which he is going to look into.

‘I want the rest of you to search for evidence that Wendy Matlock and Eddie Kilpatrick fished. I want you.’ He pointed at Singh. ‘To go through the nursery rhyme and see if you can find anything else that might be relevant.