‘I think we’d better go to the hospital, don’t you?’

As she sat beside him on the way, Kate felt that she had received an insight into Patrick Kelly. He had his Achilles heel, just like everyone else.

All her problems seemed small in comparison to what the man beside her was going through.

They drove in silence.

George was still sitting in his lounge. It was just past one. He could hear the regular thud-thud of the music from a party a few houses down. He took a long drink of his Ovaltine. It was stone cold and he grimaced.

Elaine had gone to bed earlier and he had told her he was feeling overtired. She knew that when he got like that he could not sleep. She had been happy to leave him downstairs.

He smiled to himself ruefully, laid his head back on the chair and savoured once more the events of earlier in the evening.

She was a very silly girl. Well, he had shown her. Oh, yes, he had shown her all right. The little slut! Hanging around at night, in deserted streets. Well, he had put a stop to her gallop. Oh, yes. It might just make a few of the women of Grantley sit up and take notice of him.

They’d all be talking about him again tomorrow. Oh, he knew what would be said. Elaine, the hungry hippo, would fill him in on all the local gossip. He smiled to himself at the comparision.

In his mind’s eye he saw the girl as she had been when he had left her. Legs akimbo. He grinned. He knew all her secret places now. She had seen his face. That was a mistake, he realised it now. He should have put on the mask first.

He wondered vaguely if the girl had been found yet. Mandy . . . He liked that name very much.

The party was in full swing now and George could hear one of the records blaring out.

He liked people to enjoy themselves.

As the strains of ‘Blue Velvet’ wafted towards him he smiled again. In his mind he saw all the young girls dancing with men. He pictured tight dresses and straining busts against white silk.

Oh, they were all the same. Every last one of them.

It would be Christmas Day soon. He was glad, because he needed a holiday. It had been a hectic few months.

As they reached the hospital Kelly asked Kate to tell him all she knew. She explained that Mandy had been found with horrific head injuries and that they were operating on her. She did not elaborate. It was not the right time.