‘They’re there,’ she said. ‘Medics arrived first, then two uniforms.’

‘What’s the situation?’ DS Alexander said.

‘She’s gone. Every officer in the county’s looking for her car.’

‘Fuck.’

‘We have the car details. We’ll find her.’

‘And the others?’

‘Joanna and Roland are fine. Mr Sark’s gone to Whitehaven hospital. He’s stable but suffering from a possible heroin overdose.’

‘Heroin? Tom’s not a user.’

Wynne nodded. ‘I know.’

‘What happened there?’

‘We’ll find out shortly, I imagine.’

When they arrived, Roland was sitting at the kitchen table, feeding a jar of baby food to Jo. The two uniforms – a pair of burly men in their twenties called Dave and Steve – were leaning against the wall.

‘Roland,’ DS Alexander said. ‘I’m glad you’re safe.’

‘Did you hear anything about Tom?’ he said.

‘He’s stable. I suspect they’ll keep him in overnight. But I think he’ll be OK.’

‘Do you feel up to talking, Mr Sark?’ Wynne said.

‘Of course,’ Roland replied. ‘No problem.’

‘Then why don’t you take us through what happened?’

‘And then what?’

‘Then DS Alexander and I will take you and Joanna home. The forensics teams will come in and look over this place. And we’ll find Mrs Sark.’

‘I don’t want to go home,’ Roland said. ‘I want to be there when Tom comes around.’

DS Alexander put her hand on his forearm. ‘I think that’s a great idea,’ she said. ‘We’ll take Joanna to your parents. Do they have stuff for her?’

‘Yes,’ Roland said. ‘She’s stayed over quite often.’

‘Then you can go to Whitehaven hospital,’ Wynne said.

Tom

He was a long time coming round, and when he did he had no idea where he was. Not that it mattered. He felt an overwhelming sensation of nausea. When he was ten they had gone on a ferry to France and he had suffered horribly from seasickness; this was like that, turned up by a factor of ten.

He tried to sit up but his head throbbed and he lay back down. He was in a bed of some kind; through the nausea he could make out an antiseptic smell which brought something to mind.

A hospital.

He was in a hospital.

What had happened? Had he had an accident?

And then he started to remember.

Alice was Brenda was Andrea. The Crucifix killings. More in Perth, and others besides.

And then him. He was supposed to be next. But he was alive. Somehow he had escaped Alice’s plan.

Which left Joanna next in line. His eyes snapped open. The room was empty.

Joanna. He had to find out what had happened to his daughter.

He started to scream.

Roland

A nurse tapped him on the shoulder. ‘Your brother’s awake. We told him you’re here and you’re coming along now. Be quick, if you could. He’s a little agitated.’