The DS then raised the subject of the message in the Christmas card.

‘So what’s our position on it, guv?’ he said. ‘Are we taking the view that this could be the first of a series of murders or do we treat it as a one-off that’s unconnected to the threat?’

‘That’s an issue I’m grappling with,’ James said. ‘And I realise that it’s going to seriously affect how we move forward with the investigation.’

‘You’re not wrong there, guv. In fact, I’m already struggling to get my brain around it. Take Sonia Jenkins, for instance. I accept it’s quite possible she killed her husband in a fit of rage, but I can’t imagine her sending you that card or the dead partridge. Or threatening to kill a bunch of other people because she believes they deserve to die.’

James nodded. ‘That’s exactly the problem we’re faced with. So I can only suggest that at this stage we simply follow the evidence. That includes finding out who had a grudge against Charlie Jenkins, and if that person also has a serious problem with other people in this village.’

‘That’s sensible, I suppose, but it’ll make things much harder.’

‘I realise that,’ James said. ‘But the fact is, the only way we’ll know for certain whether or not we’re dealing with a serial killer is if he or she claims another victim.’

CHAPTER NINETEEN

When Annie returned home her mind was spinning in circles and she was struggling to suppress an ugly fear that was making her stomach churn.

The news about Charlie Jenkins had hit her hard. He was someone she had known, the first boy she had ever kissed when they were at school together. She’d seen him just two days ago and had spoken to his wife only yesterday.

It just didn’t seem possible that he was dead.

Brutally stabbed.

Murdered.

Annie could not banish the thought that he might still be alive if James hadn’t played down the significance of the message in the Christmas card.

Was it a failure on her husband’s part that he hadn’t taken it more seriously? Should he and his colleagues in the police have acted immediately to ensure that everyone in Kirkby Abbey was made aware of the threat? Maybe then Charlie would have stayed indoors instead of taking his dog for a walk in the middle of the night.

The parcel with the dead partridge and Christmas card had been left on their doorstep on Friday evening, and around thirty hours later, on Saturday night, Charlie was slain.

Twelve days. Twelve murders. Twelve victims. And they all deserve what’s coming to them.

Those words from the message in the card were on repeat inside Annie’s head. It was enough to convince her that Charlie’s death was not a coincidence. And she did not believe for a single second that Sonia was responsible. James was obviously hoping that she was, because then it would prove to be an open and shut case, yet to Annie it was anything but.