Sam had heard of Reece, a man who had murdered his sister and attacked his brother-in-law, claiming that he was asleep at the time. It would be good to hear the story from someone in the know, rather than rely on the media.

He googled various medical sites. Hughie had been right, there was much debate as to the cause of the condition. And, as yet, he had no information about Laura’s patient, other than that he was driving in his sleep. That one fact was disturbing enough — where would he be going? And why? He would have liked to ring Laura and question her further, but she would be with Jackman now, so he would have to wait.

He cleared away the dishes and washed the grill pan. No wonder Laura was so concerned about her mystery sleepwalker. The case would require extensive research, and Sam was glad he had the free time to help her. A challenging case always excited and worried you in equal measure. Often it shed new light on the issue, which was the exciting part. She was right to start with case histories, and where better to start than with Hughie Mackenzie’s murderer?

He carried the remainder of his wine through to the lounge. If he was to get any sleep, he must switch off his brain and immerse himself in a film. He checked through the channel guide and found the perfect one. The 1920 version of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was the feature film tonight. He recalled that the plot centred around a hypnotist who uses a somnambulist to commit murders for him. How appropriate.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The night was cooler than it had been of late, the temperature far more suited to the time of year. Fleur Harper toyed with the idea of closing the windows, but she did like fresh air, so she left the fanlights open.

She hadn’t been sleeping particularly well recently. Insomnia came and went with her, according to her moods. Tonight, sleep evaded her. She tried reading and watched TV for a couple of hours, but at midnight, she was still wide awake, and conscious that she had an early start in the morning.

‘Oh hell. Better take something, I suppose.’

She padded downstairs. A milky malt drink and a couple of magic pills would give her a few hours’ respite. Despite having natural ingredients, they weren’t available in this country and had to be ordered online. So far, they hadn’t failed her.

Back in bed, she finished her drink and turned out the light, already feeling drowsy. Oh, the relief of sleep!

Fleur awoke to the sound of the alarm clock and reached out to stop its buzzing.

She was mildly fuzzy and still clinging to the vestiges of a strange dream. She blinked and stretched, parts of the dream still with her. It had almost been erotic. A man had entered the room and stood beside her bed. He had watched her sleeping and then bent forward, as if to kiss her. She had stirred in her sleep, welcoming his attention. Even this morning she felt his warm breath caress her skin and smelled a hint of cologne.