She had little work to do today, so she’d get her business stuff out of the way, see the police and then set about organising her little group of avenging angels. Amid a determined clatter of dishes, she decided that the best way to combat this horrible feeling of powerlessness was to fight back.

* * *

When she and Jay arrived at the house that morning, Stacey was delighted to see a remarkable change in Annie Carson. Leaning forward in her seat, she listened intently to what they said.

‘So there’s been another one?’ she said. ‘What’s her name?’

‘Natalie Miles. Ring a bell at all?’ asked Stacey.

‘I used to know a Natalie. She was a secretary — for an accountant I work with. I can’t remember her surname though. Where does she live?’

‘The village of Old Fleet, not far from Saltern.’ Stacey noticed Annie writing this down. ‘You seem to have made a remarkable recovery, Annie. You were shaken to the bone the last time we saw you.’

‘I have a young and impressionable son, Stacey. I have to put on a brave face for him.’ Annie gave a dry laugh. ‘Sometimes, if I try really hard, I even convince myself.’

‘Good for you,’ Stacey said. She pointed to Annie’s notes. ‘Thanks for taking this so seriously. I see you’re really trying to find a connection between yourselves, and we appreciate it.’

‘It’s the least I can do. I want him found and locked up.’ She frowned. ‘This Natalie I used to pass on work to, I even had a drink with her one evening, though it’s ages ago now. I’m not sure if I still have her number, but if not, I’ll ring the accountant and ask him what her surname is.’

‘If you would let us know, that’d be great,’ said Jay.

When he and Stacey were back in the car, Jay said, ‘I feel easier about her and her son now. She’s made a big effort for his sake. Let’s hope she manages to find a connection.’

Stacey started the engine. ‘So, why do I feel uneasy? Did you notice her expression when we told her about last night’s victim?’

Jay looked blank. ‘She was interested, but why wouldn’t she be? It would make her feel less like a target. The more houses he gets into, the greater the likelihood that it was a random selection, which would mean less threat to her son.’

‘Very logical, young man,’ Stacey said. ‘But I saw something different. Our Annie’s up to something.’

‘Is this a woman thing?’ asked Jay. ‘My sister’s always saying we think differently. So, what did you see?’