‘We have a person of interest living nearby,’ Wynne said. ‘And we need him DNA tested.’

‘OK,’ Rainford said. ‘How urgent is it?’

‘Urgent. I need it today.’

‘Oh.’ His voice perked up; this was probably the most interesting thing that had happened in a month. ‘I could go myself. Who’s the person.’

‘Guy Sanderson. Do you know him?’

There was a pause. ‘The name rings a bell,’ Rainford said. ‘But I don’t think he’s a local. Could be someone who has a second home here.’

‘He is,’ Wynne said. ‘He has a house on the lake.’

‘On the lake?’ his voice rose another notch. ‘Which house?’

Dudek gave him the address.

‘Are you sure?’ he said.

‘I’m sure,’ Dudek replied. ‘What’s going on?’

‘That’s the second time that address has come up today.’

Wynne glanced at Dudek. ‘What was the first?’

‘Two officers went out there earlier. A teenager told them he’d seen an SOS signal coming from the house last night. He was out on the lake.’

‘They went out there?’ Wynne said. ‘What did they find?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Shit.’ Wynne banged the table. ‘It’s him,’ she said. ‘It’s Guy Sanderson. She’s in his house.’

‘We have to get down there,’ Dudek said.

‘We can’t wait for that. If the police have been there, he knows we’re coming. PC Rainford,’ she said. ‘What time did they leave the house?’

‘About twenty minutes ago.’

‘Then get them back there, right now. You as well. No one leaves that house, OK? Especially not Sanderson. He’s keeping a woman prisoner in there. Take down my number and call me as soon as you get there. Got it?’

‘Got it,’ Rainford said. ‘We’re on our way.’

Wynne gave him her number and hung up. ‘That’s the second time,’ she said. ‘The second time we’ve been this close to him.’

‘I know,’ Dudek said. ‘Let’s make sure there’s not a third.’

PC Gibb

1

PC George Gibb sat in the passenger seat. Next to him, PC Julie Berry switched on the siren and pulled out of the lay-by they had been waiting in, looking for people breaking the speed limit.

Get there as fast as you can, Ted Rainford had said. And don’t let anyone leave the house. There’s a woman being held prisoner in there.

She accelerated hard, the siren blaring. Cars moved out of the way to let them pass. When they were about a mile from the house, he reached up and turned the sirens off.

‘Don’t want him to know we’re coming,’ he said.

‘When we arrive,’ Julie said. ‘I’ll park across the drive. You go around the back of the house. If you see anything, shout. If not, meet me at the front. We can force our way in. Ted should be there shortly too.’