‘So how is the investigation going?’ Mary asked. She remained standing by the doorway, and Dani sensed by her casual tone that this was simply small talk until Grant arrived, rather than her really taking a keen interest.

‘Into the killings? We have a number of leads.’

‘I’m sure. Must be quite something having to unpick all of the evidence. An analytical mind, I think that’s what you call it, isn’t it?’

‘Mrs Grant, have you heard from Ethan at all yet? It’s still very important that we speak to him.’

‘No,’ Mary said. She hung her head and Dani couldn’t quite read what the reaction meant. Was it embarrassment, or was she trying to conceal a lie?

Dani didn’t get the chance to press any further, because a second later Grant came into the room, and Mary promptly shot off back to do whatever she’d been doing when Dani first knocked on the door.

Grant offered Dani a drink but she politely declined and he showed her across the hall into his study where he shut the door. He took a seat at the brown leather chair behind the grand mahogany desk and Dani sat at the simpler wooden chair the other side. She looked around the room. Glass cabinets took up two of the walls, filled with textbooks and ornaments and photo frames. Academic certificates covered another wall.

‘I’ve been thinking about the last conversation we had,’ Dani said.

‘About Ethan?’ Grant asked, looking at her with suspicion.

‘No. Not exactly. We talked last time about what that note could mean.’

‘We talked at length, yes.’

He made it sound as though he’d felt hassled by that, which wasn’t how Dani remembered it.

Dani briefly told him about the second note, including the words and the context. He sat listening attentively, not making a sound.

‘Before, we really only talked about the motivation for someone to send a note like that,’ Dani said. ‘About how it’s either an out and out taunt by a killer who thinks they’re untouchable, or a clue left by someone who’s ready to be caught.’

‘Those are two of the more obvious possibilities.’

‘I’m not sure though that really helps me to get any closer to understanding who this killer is. The thing is, if there really is a serial killer on the loose here…’ Dani felt herself cringe slightly at her own words, it still sounded so outlandish, ‘…then why is the only thing we have is those damn notes, and the stabbings of a young man and a young woman, both of which, it could be said, were quite simple attacks?’

‘I’m not sure what you’re getting at?’

‘What I’m getting at is that those notes were possibly sent by a killer. The killer.’

‘Yes, that’s possible.’