But it did. She was not here, and this was what she had left behind. His throat was constricted, his stomach hollow. This must be what it was like when someone died, he thought. The world they had lived in was still there; only they were missing.

He pushed the thought away. She was not gone yet. He could not think like that.

It would drive him mad.

He scanned the shelves above the desk, going over the books one by one. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he knew it was slim. It could easily be hidden between two books.

And then he saw it. Next to her first novel there was a small gap. He slid his finger into it and pulled it out. A slender, home-made book of poetry. He took it out and opened it. There was an inscription, in block capitals.

TO ANNABELLE

FROM ONE WRITER TO ANOTHER; WE SHARE A SPECIAL BOND

YOURS MOST FAITHFULLY

CARL JAMESON

This was it. This was the guy. It had to be. He headed out of the office to show it to DI Wynne.

Wynne

Wynne opened the door of Dudek’s Astra and sat in the passenger seat. In her hand she held the volume of poetry Matt Westbrook had given her. Outside, Dudek was on the phone.

He finished his call and got in the car.

‘Put in a request for his address and any details we have on him,’ he said.

‘Good. We’ll go and talk to him.’ She turned to Matt Westbrook’s house. There was something about this case that had been bothering her, and now she knew what it was.

‘You look thoughtful, boss,’ Dudek said. ‘What is it?’

‘There’s something confusing here,’ Wynne said. ‘I’ve been thinking it over.’

‘What is it?’

‘The motive. I can’t put my finger on it.’

‘They want Annabelle.’

‘Right. But if that’s all it is, why do it this way?’

‘He’s obsessed. Or she. You know how it works. The motives are always the same: money, revenge, love. A crazy fan. Ex-boyfriend. A friend she pissed off. We can’t rule anything out yet.’

‘I get that,’ Wynne said. ‘But if what they want is Annabelle, why do it like this?’

‘What do you mean, exactly?’

‘If all they want is Annabelle, why kidnap the kids? Why not simply take her? And if they want revenge, why not just kill her? Why bother with the kids at all?’

‘Yeah,’ Dudek said. ‘I see what you’re saying. He could have kidnapped her. It would have been a lot easier. Pick her up somewhere and then disappear. All this – the messages, exchange, switching to a van – could have been avoided.’

‘Which suggests there’s a reason for it,’ Wynne said. ‘There’s something more going on. The kidnapper wants something. Maybe to send a message of some kind.’