Archer sighs. ‘I knew this would be a waste of time.’

‘Indulge me, DI Archer, and I will reveal something unexpected to you.’

‘Go on.’

‘Poor little Bernard. Such a promising future. So many died by his hands yet he was murdered by a – please excuse my tabloid quote – a feral twelve-year-old Grace Archer. That must have felt good, Grace.’

He can see her jaw tighten. She turns to leave.

‘Before you go, Grace. I should tell you “The Forsaken” wasn’t my first collection.’

Archer stops at the door but doesn’t look back at him.

‘There are several more individual pieces dotted around London. In the basement of a derelict church, the subject from one of my videos – The Reader – floats in the darkness without her beloved books to keep her occupied.’

‘Hilary Richards?’

‘Very good, Grace.’

‘Where is she?’

Blackwell ignores her question and continues, ‘In the attic of an abandoned North London townhouse, the body of a missing troubled teenage boy floats without a care as his parents continue their unrelenting search for him. In West London, there is small high street left behind with the advancements in online shopping. On that street is an old pound shop, closed with the shutters down. Behind them is a delightful Syrian refugee couple floating forever in a lovers’ embrace. No one has any idea they are missing.’

‘I don’t believe you.’

‘Why would I lie to you?’

‘I want the details of all of them,’ she says, turning to look at him.

‘Sorry, that’s all you get. This is just between you and me. If your colleagues come asking for more information, I shall deny all knowledge.’

‘You can’t do that.’

‘There are many more, Grace . . . many more.’

A nurse appears at the doorway. ‘You shouldn’t be here, Inspector. Please leave.’

‘Goodnight, Grace. Sleep tight.’

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

First on the thank you list is Mr David H. Headley. Without your support, patience and enthusiasm, this book would not have become a reality. As you know, The Art of Death is partly inspired by an afternoon in the pub when you told me how, as a boy, you became terrified of using telephone boxes after watching the classic Spanish thriller, La Cabina. For those that don’t know, this short movie is a macabre story of a man who becomes trapped forever in a telephone box. I wanted The Art of Death to have a similar impact on you. Maybe you can tell me if I succeeded.

A massive thanks to my editor, Katherine Armstrong at Bonnier, for believing in this book. Your passion, commitment and attention to detail have been outstanding and it has been terrific working alongside you.