It had been a relatively quiet Christmas in Cumbria for the emergency services. Very few serious crimes had been committed and, despite the heavy snowfalls, there hadn’t been many road accidents.

‘This is what I want to hear,’ James said. ‘With any luck I won’t even have to leave the office today.’

Annie nodded. ‘It’d be different if you were still working for the Met. I watched the national news while you were in the shower and they were saying that in London over the past three days there have been no less than six murders, five non-fatal stabbings and two arson attacks on commercial properties.’

James whistled out a breath. ‘Well that’s one of the good things about living in this part of the country. What happened here last year was a very rare event. I suspect it’ll be a long time before we see anything like it again. If we ever do.’

‘I hope you’re right,’ Annie said. ‘I’m still so relieved that we actually got through Christmas without another bout of bloodshed.’

James felt the same, although he didn’t want to admit it. He’d been worried that some psycho would decide to mark the first anniversary of those murders by embarking on another festive killing spree.

Thankfully, though, that didn’t happen.

CHAPTER TWO

Whenever James was reminded of the serial killer who struck in Kirkby Abbey a year ago, he found it hard not to dwell on it. Now, as he left the cottage and drove towards Kendal, the memories came rushing back.

He could still picture those dreadful crime scenes with unwelcome clarity, along with the blizzards that had hindered the investigation.

The media dubbed the perp ‘The Christmas Killer’ and the damage that was inflicted had left scars in the community that may never fully heal.

It had all started just seven weeks after he’d moved into his new home and his new job, and he was thrust right into the thick of it because the killer had contacted him personally. It had turned out to be one of the biggest and most disturbing cases James had ever worked on, but during the course of the investigation he’d got to know a great deal about Kirkby Abbey and the people who lived there.

The village was typical of many in the sprawling northern county of Cumbria that encompasses the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. It had two pubs, a school, a monthly farmers’ market and a population of around seven hundred. And throughout the year it attracted lots of sightseers and fell walkers.