‘Have you given any more thought to our offer on Christmas day?’ Palmer asked with a mouthful of biscuit.

‘Let’s see how the case unfolds.’ Barrett dreaded having to ask his team to come in on the twenty-fifth, especially those like Palmer who had children. ‘Things are not exactly progressing in the way I hoped they would,’ he admitted, still looking at the crumb, which sat comfortably on Palmer’s tie, wishing it would tumble, or get brushed off.

‘Any news on the glasses?’ Palmer asked wiping more crumbs away from the corner of his mouth, understanding why Barrett hadn’t given a clear answer to the invitation.

‘No prints, no unusual DNA.’

‘This perpetrator is good. He’s organised and diligent,’ he had to admit. ‘I keep thinking about the note on the box left at the scene, Now You See Me. Is that for us or is it a message to the victim? If it is a message for the victim, why not leave it at the scene after the murder? Why take the glasses and then return them? Is it to taunt us or someone else?’

Barrett didn’t like it when Palmer fired questions at him like that. He preferred order.

‘At the moment we can’t answer any of those questions, but what it does suggest is that killer is getting arrogant.’

‘That’s what I’m worried about.’ Palmer clapped his hands together brushing away any excess biscuit.

‘I do think that this is personal though, Joe. Somehow our killer has inserted himself into the lives of the victims. We just need to work out how and why.’

‘I’m going to go back through everything we have on Dennis Wade and Wendy Matlock and see if we’ve missed anything.’

‘Good.’ Barrett nodded. ‘Get Hale to help you. In the meantime, I have to interview the manager of the Army Surplus Store where Wendy worked… Jason Bagley,’ he said checking his notes. ‘Then there is something else I want to look into.’ The cogs of his mind were turning and an idea had struck him, which had not occurred to him before.

‘What is it, sir?’ Palmer recognised the look on his colleague’s face and was curious about what he was thinking.

‘If I get anywhere with it, I’ll let you know.’ He tapped his nose before turning and walking into his office.