‘Thanks. But anyway, I didn’t go to speak to Grant about his son. I went to speak to him about the note.’

‘Why did you… wait, oh, come on, Dani. Reeve and Harland were into drugs, they were in with a seriously bad crowd. We know Natalya knew Reeve too. Perhaps they both got caught up in some drug-related feud. It could even be that Harland killed her too, in a dispute with Reeve. Do you really think there’s a serial killer out there?’

‘I’ve been a homicide detective far longer than you have, so don’t you dare talk to me like I’m some fanciful idiot.’

Jason held his hands up. ‘Do you know how crazy this sounds, though? I know you went to see Ben the other day, but—’

‘This is absolutely nothing to do with Ben! If anyone else had received these notes it would be taken for what it is. You know this is exactly why I sat on the first one.’

And Dani truly did feel hurt by his blasé and somewhat churlish response.

‘Ok, I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘It’s just that… a serial killer? Is that really what you’re saying to me?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why would a serial killer knock off Reeve like that?’

‘I’ve no fucking idea.’

Dani thought it best not to also mention about the ominous presence she’d both seen and sensed several times over the last few days. It was clear Jason already thought she was losing it, even without that added extra.

Was she losing it?

‘There’s something not right about these murders, Jason.’

‘I don’t get it, though,’ Jason said. ‘If the notes are from the killer, why the hell would they even bother sending them? What’s the point?’

Which was the exact question Dani had been through in detail with Grant earlier in the day. To him, a murder expert, the note made perfect sense, and he’d given several explanations, each of them backed up with analysis and facts and real life examples. Having said that, Dani had been a keen and willing listener and Grant had basically told her what she wanted to hear. Trying to now remember everything she’d been told by Grant and relay it to Jason – a clear sceptic – was far less simple.

‘And there’s more,’ she said. ‘There are still other missing persons cases that could be connected here.’

‘I’ve already been through all that with Fletcher. There’s nothing to link any of those other cases with Natalya or Reeve or Harland or Grant.’

‘What about Grace Agnew? She was Reeve’s girlfriend. What if she’s dead too? How does that fit your theory?’

Jason said nothing now.

‘And Jessica Bradford?’ Dani said.

‘Who?’

‘A new case. She went missing just days ago. She’s a uni student, and I’m pretty sure one of her lecturers is Steven Grant.’