She was leaning on a kitchen unit, and the front door was at the opposite end of the house, but when her eyes snapped into focus she had a view of the postman moving away as a red smudge behind the frosted glass. She put her mug down and straightened up, trying to stretch off her fatigue as she went. Two bills were quickly discarded. The third envelope froze her to the spot:

To the remaining Evans.

She quickly glanced back up the hall to where the back door was still ajar, then tore at the envelope. Inside was a single folded sheet. The message was simple. A large image dominated the page: the four members of her family in photocopied colour. She recognised the image as one that Dover Athletic had put up on their website previously. The club photographer had caught the whole Evans family watching from the stands when Danny was injured for a couple of games, and had decided it was worthy of a mention. This printed version of the photo was different – graffitied. Danny’s face was crossed out by a black ‘X’ from the swipe of a thick pen. Sharon’s hand jerked to cover her mouth.

So was Callie’s.

So was Jamie’s.

A single typed sentence stood below the image:

TIME’S UP.

Chapter 53

Joel was leaning in close enough for the full experience. Christopher Hennershaw stank of fear. Joel had sensed there was a lot more to be found in his house and it hadn’t taken long for the team to start bringing him finds.

‘I need your unlock code.’ Joel did nothing to conceal his delight as he now thrust a mobile phone towards the seated man. The phone had been found tucked behind a loose skirting board in the room Hennershaw still occupied, and his whole demeanour had changed the moment the find was called out. Hennershaw was no longer acting the petulant child; now he was terrified.

‘I don’t have to give you that,’ he said.