Archer sighs.

‘Good luck today.’

The rest of the team trickle in. Hicks, Felton, Pike, Tozer, Phillips and Klara. Klara’s face is pale, her eyes wide. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she mouths to Archer.

Archer feels her stomach knotting. Why is Klara sorry?

Pierce is last to arrive. She stands at the entrance with an air of grandness, playing with an enormous set of keys in one hand, her owl-like eyes watching, judging Archer.

‘Everyone, we’ll have an update in the incident room now,’ announces Pierce.

The team gather inside.

‘DI Hicks, please start,’ says Pierce.

Archer tenses and feels the eyes of the team looking in her direction, searching perhaps for a trace of anger or shame on her face, but her expression remains fixed and unemotional.

In his droning voice Hicks begins to summarise the events of yesterday evening, clinging on to his folder like it’s some sort of safety blanket. After the longest five minutes he stops talking and coughs, hesitating before continuing, ‘Might I just say thank you to DS Quinn and DI Archer for their quick thinking in rescuing Jamie Blackwell.’

He leaves it there and moves on to the next topic without leaving room for any applause or team appreciation. Not that Archer requires any.

‘Thanks to Klara, we know that each victim, dead and erm . . . alive, used dating apps. Megan Burchill used Tinder, Thomas Butler used Grindr, Jamie Blackwell used Tinder, we think. The killer used fake profiles and pictures and pretended to be someone else. To use the modern term, these victims were “catfished”.’

‘Are we able to identify the killer’s phone number from the app data?’ asks Pierce.

Klara answers. ‘I’m looking into it. I’m running a program that tries to unmask hidden phone numbers. Hard to say how successful it will be. The killer knows what he is doing and has expertly covered his tracks so far.’

‘Keep trying, Klara,’ says Pierce.

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Pike and Tozer will be talking to the victims’ friends and families today. Phillips and Felton will review the CCTV. DI Archer . . .’

‘A moment please, Rodney,’ interrupts Pierce. ‘DI Archer, I understand you and Jamie Blackwell are acquainted. Could you please explain your connection?’

All eyes turn to Archer, but she keeps her cool.

‘I’ve met him a couple of times. We’re not friends.’

Pierce’s probing eyes penetrate Archer as if she’s searching beneath some lie. ‘Not friends, you say.’

‘We have met three times, possibly.’

‘I see.’

Archer holds her gaze with a calm expression. Inside, a fire rages.

‘Tell me, DI Archer. You are single?’

Silence in the room.

‘What relevance does my relationship status have to the investigation, ma’am?’

‘I was curious as to whether you have any experience with dating apps. Perhaps you could share it with us. It might help understand the killer a little more. Don’t you think?’

Archer feels the hairs on her back rising.