‘No, but we’ve requested a search party with sniffer dogs. We’re going to start at the graveyard, then Slayton’s old asylum and back to Blackhall Manor for a more detailed search.’ Local officers had already searched Blackhall Manor but it made sense to request PolSA to investigate. Slayton’s old asylum was another teenage hangout as it had been empty and abandoned for years. Situated beyond Lower Slayton, it was a mile outside of town. Gabby nodded towards the letter. ‘This is probably related to David. You know what people are like around here.’

‘Yes, that’s probably what it is.’ Sarah nodded. Her sergeant was most likely right, but it didn’t explain how they knew her childhood name. Not that she’d bring it up now. She’d given away enough of herself today. Gabby looked thoughtful.

‘What did they mean when they said Blackhall Manor would welcome you back?’

‘I used to play there as a kid with my friends. Most kids in Slayton have dared each other to visit that place at some point.’

For a long time, it seemed Gabby wasn’t going to say anything. Then she cleared her throat. ‘They seem to know you very well. An old boyfriend, perhaps?’

‘David was my only boyfriend.’ A blush rose to Sarah’s face. This always caused her embarrassment. But it was important in the context of this letter.

‘Your only boyfriend?’ Gabby repeated. ‘Surely there must have been others …’

‘I met him when I was twelve. He was seventeen.’ The words made her feel dirty. It was something that had come back to haunt her with vicious regularity in the past year.

‘And you … did you …?’ Gabby’s tone dropped as she danced around the sensitive subject.

‘Oh no, not until I was sixteen,’ Sarah added hastily. But it was too late. She could see the judgement in her eyes. Her husband was a predator, even then. Except she had been too young to see it. By the time she was sixteen, she was head over heels in love. She rubbed her hands together, feeling like a suspect in an interview. ‘Do you think he’s telling the truth? I mean, about killing Angelica?’

‘The best thing we can do with this is to keep it under our hats for now.’ Gabby was non-committal. ‘We don’t want to worry her family, but we’re trying to find out which other kids were playing the game too. I’ll mark this up as sensitive on the system as it concerns you.’ She returned her attention to the letter. ‘Send it off for forensic analysis on the hurry-up. It’s most likely some local crackpot, and I don’t think it’s related to the case. But they do seem to know a lot about you. Have you anywhere you could stay until things die down?’