‘Not exactly. His last confirmed victim was in the early nineties, and for years after that he went silent. No letters, no murders that we know of, and no progress from the police in finding him. He’d got away with it all. Then, in 2004 or 2005 I think, for no obvious reason other than he was missing the attention, and again, perhaps he wanted to be caught, he began leaving notes again. He wasn’t killing anymore, that we know of, but just leaving notes. And he got sloppy. He sent a floppy disk to a local TV station. From the metadata on there the police managed to track him down. He openly admitted to his crimes at trial. He never tried to hide a thing.’

Dani sat back in her seat and let out a long sigh. Given the subject of the conversation, she felt the inanimate object stuffed inside her jacket pocket weighing her down, as though it was a great burden.

‘I know it’s not to everyone’s taste,’ Grant said, ‘but you’ve probably gathered I can talk about this subject until the cows come home.’

Dani smiled. ‘Yes. I had noticed.’

‘But I’m sure it would be easier if you told me what you really need from me, rather than have me blather on about famous serial killers.’

‘That’s fair,’ Dani said. ‘Although you’ve already done a pretty good job of setting the scene for this.’

Grant looked puzzled as Dani reached inside her jacket pocket and her hand came back out clutching the plastic wallet with the unfolded piece of paper inside. She passed it across the desk for Grant to see. Then she stared at the professor as he took in the scribbled words. He said nothing for a good while, just focused his eyes on the note.

‘What is this?’ he asked eventually.

‘That’s what I’m hoping you can help me with.’

Chapter Forty-Four

Given recent events at her home, Dani was already tense as she headed through the door to the apartment block and across the foyer to the lift. She’d never been agoraphobic or claustrophobic or anything like that, but after the scare she’d had on Tuesday evening, and the debilitating lack of sleep that had followed the last two nights, she was weary and on edge. As she stood and waited for the lift to arrive, she felt apprehensive.

Finally there was a clunk as the lift landed on the ground floor and the doors slid open. Dani took a step forwards then reeled back when two figures loomed out from the inside.