But that was exactly what Barrett wanted to happen. He was keen to give this killer what he wanted in the hope of luring him out. He knew the Chief Superintendent wouldn’t approve but Barrett had already decided he would play dumb.

Removing a few forensic bags from his inside coat pocket Barrett proceeded to bag the box in one and the bubble wrap in another. The note, which lay abandoned on the desk, was placed inside a third. He handed the bags to an officer who stood to attention near the door.

‘Get this over to forensics.’ The officer nodded and disappeared carrying the gruesome evidence.

‘We’ll need you to come to the station and make a statement,’ Barrett told Jeremy while removing his gloves.

‘Do you think I’m in danger?’ It suddenly occurred to the editor that he had been singled out by a cold bloodied killer.

‘I doubt it,’ Barrett said with little sympathy, ‘but we will assign an officer to you for now.’

‘I’d really like to call my wife,’ Jeremy asked Palmer, realising that Barrett was a cold fish. ‘Just to warn her I might be home late.’

‘I see no problem with that.’ Palmer gave permission. ‘But I would ask that you don’t mention any details about the contents of the box you received at this time.’

‘Fine by me. If I never think about that again, it would be too soon,’ Jeremy said reaching for the mobile that lay on his desk and speed-dialling his home; even though, in his head, he was already writing the headline for the online article he would be publishing later on that day. Killer points finger at me. Yes, Jeremy smiled to himself for the first time since discovering the body parts, that would do nicely.

Chapter 20

6.00pm Saturday 21st December

Jane sat stiffly in the pub alone, sipping an orange juice and checking the time. The others were late, which she couldn’t abide. It had been over a week since Dennis’s murder and the future of their jobs were still on the line. Understandably Mrs Wade, who was now the owner of the shop, hadn’t given much thought to what she wanted to do with the premises. Jane understood that she should be given time and space to grieve, but in the meantime a number of people were left in limbo not knowing whether they still had employment or not.

It had been Jane’s idea to call a meeting with her colleagues to discuss their predicament. She had also invited Marcus, the company accountant, along, hoping that he might be able to apply some gentle pressure on the Wade family. She suspected he was Dennis’s executor and that, therefore, he had the power to help.