‘No, they haven’t. Are you going to have it checked for fingerprints?’

‘Yes.’

He followed Father Silver into his office, which was quite compact, with a single window that looked out on some of the headstones at the back of the church. There was a cluttered desk, a small leather sofa, and the walls were adorned with framed prints of scenes from the bible.

The card had been placed on top of a grey metal filing cabinet along with the envelope it had come in. James saw straight away that it matched exactly the one that had been delivered to him.

He’d come prepared and took a pair of latex gloves and an evidence bag from his overcoat pocket. He slipped the gloves on before picking up the card.

The message inside was scrawled in black marker and the handwriting appeared to be a match as well.

You need to prepare for a spate of post-Christmas funerals, Father Silver. If you want to know why then ask Detective James Walker.

‘How was this delivered to you, Father?’ he asked.

‘It was left on the bench inside the front porch,’ Father Silver said. ‘I saw it when I arrived here this morning from my home in the rectory.’

‘And where is that?’

‘Just across the road.’

‘So it could have been placed there during the night or early today.’

He nodded. ‘I left here and closed up about five yesterday evening so that I could go along to the nativity play at the school. It wasn’t in the porch then.’

‘Was there anyone outside at that time?’

‘No. The churchyard was empty. I’m sure of it. I don’t recall seeing anyone until I got to the school. After the play I went straight back to the rectory and got an early night. I rarely stay up beyond nine o’clock these days as a result of my condition.’

‘Yes, Annie mentioned you had spoken to her about it, Father. I was sorry to hear it.’

‘Thank you, my son. But it’s God’s will so I accept it with good grace.’

‘Nevertheless, it can’t be easy.’

He smiled. ‘It isn’t, but it would be much harder if I didn’t know that I was going to a better place.’

James didn’t want to get involved in a theological discussion at this time so he just nodded, then quickly turned his attention to the envelope. On it was written:

To the priest of St John’s

‘Do you believe that this card and the one that was sent to you are from the same person?’ Father Silver asked.

‘I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,’ James said.

‘Then perhaps they were sent to other people as well.’

James shrugged. ‘If so then I suspect we’ll know soon enough.’

James sealed the evidence bag and placed it in his pocket. His head was spinning now with more questions and a lead weight had started to form in his chest.

He just couldn’t fathom what was going on. What was the aim of the creep who was behind it? Was it to stir up panic in the village before Christmas just to indulge a warped sense of humour? Or had Andrew Sullivan launched a vicious vendetta against him after learning that he was now enjoying a quiet life in the Yorkshire Dales?