Jackman stood looking down at the body. Poor Ratty was a pathetic sight. Most people would say he deserved his bad ending, considering all the people he’d frightened in his night-time excursions, but Jackman couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. Ratty had led a pretty miserable existence. His only solace had been getting inside some stranger’s house, a place where a normal, comfortable life was led. Just being there, completely unseen, touching the belongings, sitting in a chair for a moment or two, running a hand down curtains that had no holes in them.

Jackman sighed. Really there was no excuse for what Ratty did, but he was harmless. Unlike their other night stalker. The man now roaming their streets at night had malice on his mind, and an endgame that Jackman daren’t even contemplate. And now he had the streets to himself.

‘Guess who’s the first responder, boss?’ Marie had appeared beside him, accompanied by none other than PC Simon Laker.

‘Glutton for punishment, aren’t you, Simon?’ Jackman said.

‘Something like that, sir. I admit I did ask to be told if anything involving either of our two midnight cowboys turned up . . .’ He stared down at the body. ‘I only live a few roads away, so I was here as soon as it was rung in.’

‘So, what occurred?’

‘A local man, out walking his German shepherd. Suddenly the dog pulls him violently through the gate here and starts growling at something in the shrubbery. The owner investigated and found the body. He alerted us and then told the lady who lives here.’ He pointed to the cottage. ‘Her name’s Miss Louise Armstrong — the woman on the right, sir, in the green half-jacket. She told me she’d heard something in the garden around midnight or so, but she has regular visits from foxes and hedgehogs — who can make one heck of a racket, apparently — so she didn’t take any notice.’

‘Have Forensics been called?’ Jackman asked.

‘Yes, sir. Should be here any minute. We’ve got everything ready for them. We’re keeping everyone out of the garden area and temporarily blocking access into this end of the road. There’ll be some contamination from the dog and the owner, but hopefully there’ll be something for the SOCOs to find.’ He looked at Jackman. ‘Are we thinking this could be the work of our picture thief?’

Jackman shrugged. ‘It’s too soon to say, Simon, but we know he’s more than capable of it.’

Marie pointed towards the road. ‘Look. Spike and Cardiff. Forensics are here.’

Soon the two forensics officers were suited up and hauling their metal cases of equipment towards the tent.

‘No Prof this morning?’ asked Jackman.