Kate felt his attention and shrugged it off. She wanted to get her job done and get back home. This house was too fraught for her liking.

‘Listen you.’ Caroline’s voice had a smile in it. ‘I am not having it off in an old shed.’

Barry laughed with her.

‘Well, there’s one thing for certain, girl. My wife and your husband ain’t gonna let us use their beds, so it’s the back of the motor, or the shed. I’ve got a sleeping bag in me boot. We’ll be as snug as two bugs in a rug!’

Caroline screeched with laughter again.

‘What’s the time?’

Barry stared bleary-eyed at his watch.

‘Half-past twelve.’

‘My old man ain’t expecting me in till after two. He thinks I’m doing an extra shift.’

‘So what’s it to be then? Out here in the motor or in the shed?’

‘You’ve done this before, ain’t you?’

Barry nodded.

‘Yeah. I’ve got a sleeping bag, a bottle of wine and a couple of plastic glasses. All waiting for you, my darling.’

‘Oh . . . go on then. But you’re sure no one comes round this way at night, ain’t ya?’

‘Yes! Now help me lug all the stuff in.’

They got out of the car. Caroline carried the wine and the glasses. Barry carried a large sleeping bag. Caroline pushed open the shed door. As she walked in she stumbled over something and screamed with fright.

‘Here, hold up, girl. You’ll have the Old Bill here if you’re not careful.’

Dumping the sleeping bag on to the floor, Barry flicked his lighter into life.

He heard the real scream that came from Caroline this time and was hard pressed not to follow it with one of his own.

On the floor in a pool of blood lay a young girl. She was nearly naked.

The lighter burnt his fingers and he pulled his thumb off the fuel button. In the darkness Caroline began to panic and Barry pulled her from the shed. He held her to him tightly.

‘Calm down . . . Calm down!’

He could hear her teeth chattering and guessed she was in shock.

He took her back to his car, turned the engine on and put on the heater. Then, taking his torch from the glove compartment, he went back to the shed. His mind was in a turmoil. He stepped gingerly inside and shone the torch on to the girl’s body. Her head was stuck to the floor where the blood had dried on to her hair and the dirt. He knelt down beside the body and put his fingers to the main artery in her neck.

She was alive! Surely not?