The reporters laughed.

‘Have you any idea at all who the man is? Any leads?’ a booming voice called from the back.

‘Was the child molested at all?’ called another.

Kate followed Caitlin out of the building and to their car. Caitlin lit one of his cigars.

‘It’s funny you know, Kate, but why would the man come here?’

‘I thought that, Kenny. I wondered if maybe he was visiting over this way. Could he work here maybe? Has he family in the area? The murders in Grantley were obviously done by someone who knows the neighbourhood. Maybe he lives here now but was brought up in Grantley? Why kill the child so brutally?’

Caitlin shook his head.

‘The blood testing is backlogged, did you hear?’

Kate nodded. ‘I heard. We need more manpower on it.’ ‘It’s the results that are taking all the time. Still, we’ll keep at it. Time’s the one thing we haven’t got, but it’s also all we’ve got, if you get my meaning.’

Kate smiled wanly.

‘I keep thinking of that child. How can we not have anything to go on? Jesus Christ!’

‘Look, girl, Peter Sutcliffe took years to find. Then there was Dennis Nilsen. He was even cooking the poor fuckers’ heads and no one would have found him if he hadn’t blocked up his drains with human flesh. Murderers like this only get caught quickly in books and on TV. Real life is a different thing altogether. This man is probably discussing the murders with his family, friends, workmates, acting like he’s as shocked as them. But underneath it all he’s laughing at them and us. Oh, yes, especially us. He’ll read the papers and grin all over his face.

‘But you mark my words, he’ll do something wrong and when he does make a mistake, we’ll be waiting for him. And do you know the first thing I’m going to do?’

‘What?’

Caitlin leaned towards her and grinned.

‘I’m going to smack him once for every corpse that I’ve seen with his handiwork on it and twice as hard and as long for the child. It’s what will keep me going.’

Kate turned from him. Before she could answer the reporters began filtering out of police headquarters and she started the car. The last thing she wanted was to get caught by them.

Caitlin’s words troubled her though. More than she cared to admit. She was aware that any suspect they had now could be in great danger. James Redcar had put a different light on this inquiry altogether. Everyone knew that even criminals had their own code of conduct when it came to a child murderer. As soon as the Grantley Ripper was identified, there’d be more than just the police out to get him. She just hoped they could get to him first.

As she drove back towards the Dartford Tunnel she saw a plane taking off from Gatwick and sighed.

How she wished she was on it.