‘I wonder what they’ve got in there,’ Easton said, nodding over to the quadruple garage that was separate from the house, and which, with its dormer windows in the sloping eaves, was probably bigger than most regular detached homes.

‘Dead bodies?’ Dani said.

Easton gave her an eye roll.

‘I was thinking more like Ferraris and Bugattis.’

‘Yeah. Those too.’

Dani parked on the gravel turning circle next to an elaborate fountain, though the water was switched off. She grabbed the papers as she and Easton got out and crunched across the yellow stones to the canopied front door.

‘Butler or maid?’ Easton said, quietly.

Dani didn’t answer. She pressed on the bell and a couple of seconds later the front door swung open to reveal a smartly dressed, pot-bellied man, with deeply tanned skin and cropped silvery hair and beard.

Dani glanced to Easton who just shrugged.

‘Peter Agnew?’ Dani said.

‘Yes, yes, please come in.’

Dani and Easton did as they were told, heading into the expansive wood-panelled hallway that was topped off by a five-foot-high polished suit of armour, complete with ornamental sword.

‘Please, come through to the drawing room.’

Dani was sure she heard Easton snigger but she just kept her eyes ahead as they followed Agnew through into the thirty-foot-long drawing room. Basically a posh lounge, Dani decided.

A bleached blonde lady with a skin tone slightly darker than her husband’s, suggesting many weeks spent somewhere a lot sunnier than England, got up from the sofa and came over. In figure-hugging cream trousers and a sequinned top she walked with the confidence of someone who was worth as much as she was.

‘Linda Agnew?’ Dani said, holding out her hand. The woman nodded and gave her a firm handshake. ‘I’m DI Stephens. This is my colleague DS Easton.’

Formalities were briefly completed before all four took a seat. The Agnews sat together on a three-piece brown leather sofa. Dani and Easton took opposite armchairs.

‘I explained briefly on the phone what this is about,’ Dani said.

‘About Grace, yes,’ Peter said.

‘I’ll get right to the point. Last night we found the body of a young female in the Moseley area of Birmingham.’

‘You think it’s our Grace,’ Peter said. His wife sniffed and dropped her head onto his shoulder.

‘It’s possible. The pictures I’m about to show you are quite graphic, but please, if you could take a look and tell me if you think this is your daughter.’

Dani leafed through the photos she had in her hand and took out the two least gruesome – head and shoulder shots that showed the victim from slightly different angles, and gave little indication of her horrific injuries. Unpleasant as it was, showing the Agnews these carefully selected photographs was the least distressing way at this stage for them to either identify their daughter or rule out the possibility that the body was Grace.