‘It’s certainly possible. We have to work on that assumption for now. Our job is to find them either way, but working on the idea that victim three is alive means we really need to find them as soon as possible. Time isn’t on our side, given how quickly this killer disposed of the first two victims.’

‘Yes, they are certainly working fast,’ Elly agreed as she made her way back to her desk.

Barrett, who had hung up the phone, bellowed across the room to Singh making the rest of the office stop and turn.

‘We have a DNA match on the finger,’ Barrett stood and announced. ‘Mr Edward Kilpatrick.’

Singh raised his eyebrows and let out a long puff of air from his lips. ‘He was reported missing by his wife on Saturday morning,’ Singh shared with the room. ‘He left home on Friday afternoon and never returned.’

‘Right. I want everyone on this. We need to find Mr Kilpatrick. That is our top priority now.’

‘Joe.’ Barrett pointed at Palmer with his pen. ‘I want you to go speak to the wife. Find out if there is any link between Kilpatrick and the other victims. I want a search of his premises. Hale, Singh, I want you here trawling through his phone records and bank statements. Get onto the phone company and see if we can get a ping from his phone. I want his last known position. Okay, that’s it. Get to work.’

Barrett approached Palmer. ‘I’ll come with you to speak to the wife,’ he said tucking his pen into his inside jacket pocket. ‘Until we have evidence of the contrary, Eddie Kilpatrick is alive, is that clear?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Palmer nodded. ‘I presume we have to tell her about the finger?’

‘We do,’ Barrett said gravely. ‘I’m afraid we do.’

Veronica stood looking out of the front window of her living room at the street she’d lived on for the last twenty years. It hadn’t changed much in all that time. Some people had come and gone but otherwise it was unchanged.

She thought about her local friends, the school Andrew had attended down the road and the playground where her husband had taught their son to ride his bike. The place was awash with memories, some good and some bad. The one constant thing in her life had been Dennis but now he was gone.

Behind her Francesca was getting her bags ready. Before too long they were due to leave meet Natalie at Heathrow.

‘Is everything alright?’ Francesca called from the hallway.

Veronica didn’t know the answer to that question. If she said yes, then she’d be lying; but if she answered no, then she’d have to acknowledge exactly what it was she was contemplating.