After a while she stopped and he lifted her onto his chest. She lay with her head sideways, and his eyes started to close.

He let them shut for a blissful second, then forced them open. It was hard to keep them that way and they flickered shut. He felt himself slip towards sleep.

Just a minute, he thought. I’ll close them for two minutes. I won’t go to sleep, but a few minutes can’t hurt …

Alice

‘Sorry I’m late,’ Alice said. ‘Tom was at the pub.’

‘He was?’ Nadia said. ‘Good for him!’

‘He should have been back on time, though.’

‘No problem. We’re working late these days.’

‘So,’ Alice said. ‘You mentioned there might be an update?’

‘Not really,’ Nadia said.

‘Do you have any leads? Any suspects?’

‘I can’t say, Alice, you know that.’

‘I know, but if you did have one – well, if the killer saw it in the news they might start to get worried. Slip up somehow, or even stop.’

‘There’s not much,’ Nadia said. ‘That’s all I can tell you.’

‘Can I quote that?’

‘Not unless you want my boss to kick me down to playground duty,’ Nadia said.

Upstairs she heard the sound of splashing and laughter. It must be bath time.

‘Who’s your boss?’ Alice said.

‘Detective Inspector Jane Wynne.’

Alice remembered her from the press conference. She was quiet and unassuming, but her eyes were quick and intelligent.

‘Can I talk to her?’

‘I don’t know. I can ask.’

‘That would be great,’ Alice said. ‘So what’s the reason for the call? I don’t need much – something about a new lead, or an avenue of enquiry. But something.’

‘There’s the question of the victims being men and women,’ Nadia said.

‘What does that mean?’

‘We’re not sure. But it could mean something. A different kind of killer, maybe. Some are motivated by sex or revenge or hatred of prostitutes, but this one – well, maybe they just like killing.’

‘Which would make them hard to catch,’ Alice said. ‘Because there’s no pattern. And if everyone’s a potential victim then it’s all the more terrifying.’

‘That’s the thinking,’ Nadia said. ‘How’s everything else?’

‘It’s’ – she paused – ‘OK.’

‘Only OK?’

‘Things have been a bit strained with Tom.’

‘That’s normal enough. You’ve both been under a lot of stress.’

‘I know. But he seems more than stressed. He’s been erratic. Snappy.’

‘I’m sure you’ll get through it.’

‘I think so. But it’s tough. He’s in the bath with Jo now.’

‘OK. Well, I’ll get back to you about DI Wynne.’

She ended the call and Alice put her phone down. Another evening of a rushed dinner and a broken night’s sleep lay ahead of her. There wasn’t even any food in the fridge, unless Tom had brought some back.