Wolf held the grimace for a moment longer, then his expression hardened. ‘You really want to know, then I can show you something like you’ve never seen before.’

Wolf reached for his holdall and unzipped a side pocket, from which he took a glossy black slimline phone. He said, ‘They issue us phones, but this one is my own. It can’t be tracked or traced to me. I always use it for work, and I had it with me that night.’

Ben shook his head. ‘What night?’

‘The night of the spring equinox,’ Wolf said. ‘The night I used it to video what I witnessed.’

Now Ben was even more confused. ‘What are you talking about, Jaden? What the hell does the spring equinox have to do with this?’

‘There are things in this world that are best not known about,’ Wolf said. ‘Forces at play you can’t imagine.’

Ben looked at him. ‘You’re serious, aren’t you? This thing has got you scared shitless.’

‘And so would you be, if you had any idea of what I’m talking about.’

‘Try me.’

‘Be careful what you wish for,’ Wolf said. ‘Because once you see this, there’s no going back. You’ll never be the same again.’

‘Enough,’ Ben said. ‘Just show me.’

‘Fine. You asked for it.’ Wolf turned on the phone and spent a moment swiping and tapping. When the thing he was searching for came up on the screen, he keyed in a password. ‘I’ve encrypted the video file. This isn’t something I’d want anyone to see.’ Quickly, as though he couldn’t bear to look at it, he thrust the phone into Ben’s hands.

And for the second time in thirty-six hours, Ben found himself being shown a video clip. He looked quizzically at Wolf, but Wolf had his eyes averted. Ben looked back at the screen. The image was fuzzy and dark and moving about too much to make sense of. Thin black lines crisscrossed and obscured the frame. He said, ‘There’s something in front of the lens.’

‘Branches,’ Wolf said, keeping his head turned away. ‘I was hiding in the trees. Keep watching and you’ll understand why.’

‘Where did you film this?’ Ben asked.

‘Just watch.’

Ben watched, and after a few moments the picture became clearer and the scene began to unfold. The image was unsteady but the definition was sharp enough to make out details. It was night-time. He saw a lake, its waters still and dark except for the shimmer of moonlight glittering on its surface. At the centre of the lake was a wooded island, all in shadow. This side of the water, a sloping lawn led down to the shore. In the background stood a large, impressive house that could have been described as a mansion. Its windows were dark and only the moonlight illuminated its stately architecture.