What about the story in which Dani had never picked up that knife? In which she’d barely even searched that place and her notes from that day – that damn day, that she could remember nearly every second of – were one hundred percent accurate. The story in which someone was trying to frame her, or at least direct suspicion her way to make her life even more difficult and miserable than it already was.

What about that story? Would Jason believe that one?

The problem was, this wasn’t just about Jason. She saw no way of convincing the likes of McNair and Baxter of the truth.

‘That’s right,’ Dani said. ‘That’s exactly what happened.’

She hung her head.

‘Good,’ Jason said. He put his hand out onto Dani’s shoulder. It was an understanding touch, the first warmth he’d shown to her thus far. ‘If you want, that’s the story that McNair will get. But, Dani, I don’t believe it for a second. So now you need to tell me what you really think is happening here.’

Chapter Fifty-Four

Dani sipped her coffee, then sat it back down on the kitchen table. She was already feeling calmer as the drugs took effect, even though she knew more medication perhaps wasn’t the best solution, under the circumstances. It was absolutely a good thing she hadn’t made it to the vodka bottle too. Jason was opposite, holding his mug of coffee in both hands. Dani guessed he was still trying to get some warmth in them after being outside in the cold so long while she made her trip back from Knowle.

‘So you really think someone is trying to set you up?’ Jason said.

‘It’s the only explanation that makes sense.’

‘Why?’

Flashes of Dani’s conversations with Grant went through her mind.

‘Because they can,’ she said. ‘It’s all about power and control. This killer is showing how good he is. And how far off the mark we are. Putting me in the centre of the mess is entertainment.’

‘Why you?’

‘Why not? I was the lead detective on the case. And everyone knows I have a dark past.’

‘If there’s a mastermind killer out there, which I think is where you’re going, I still don’t get why Reeve became a part of this.’

‘No. Nor me. And there’s still something I don’t like about the other missing women, and Jessica Bradford’s disappearance in particular.’

Jason sighed as though bored and frustrated with Dani’s relentlessness. He looked at his watch and glanced at his phone. Not for the first time.

‘Please, Jason, something isn’t right.’

‘I can take another look at it,’ he said.

‘And what about other suspicious, unexplained deaths? Did you find any that could be linked.’