‘Don’t tell me again that her death was accidental. Accidental death is discovering an adder in your car footwell when you’re driving down the motorway, getting bitten, passing out and helplessly ploughing into another car. Angela Fernycroft was suffocated and left in the marital bed for her children and husband to find. Her killer had stalked her and broken into her home, likely watching and waiting while she took a bath and read a book. In my eyes, and forgive me if I use the wrong terminology, that makes him a complete fucking psycho.’

There was a murmur of agreement from around the room. Connie bided her time.

‘I’m also aware of the little factoid that our man’s DNA has been linked to another case where an unidentified woman possibly disappeared in Edinburgh no fewer than five years ago. Five years, Dr Woolwine. Let that sink in for a moment. It means that this maniac might have been roaming our streets, selecting his victims, sharpening his senses, and building up a head of steam for half a fucking decade. That’s the equivalent of him taking both an undergraduate degree and a master’s in stalking and slaughtering, assuming he hasn’t been at it for even longer than that.’

‘Agreed,’ Connie said.

‘What that makes him is dangerously criminally insane as far as I’m concerned. So why on earth should I believe for a single second that Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier aren’t already dead?’

Connie stood up again, giving the room a moment to settle before speaking. Overbeck was a compelling orator in front of an audience predisposed to agree with her. They would take some persuading.

‘Fair question,’ she said. ‘We know this man kills when a scenario goes wrong for him. He leaves the body where it is. No fuss, no attempt to conceal it. We don’t have Elspeth’s, Meggy’s or Xavier’s body, so your starting point is that you have to assume kidnap rather than murder. As yet we’ve established no motive for him to have killed them. Ergo, they are alive until proven otherwise. More than that, he wants them for something. They’re precious to him. The stalking, his knowledge of their lives – which yoga class, which park and school, which sports centre at a specific practice time – means he’s invested in them. He’s doing something with them. God only knows what, but this is purposeful, not impulsive. Could they be dead? Absolutely. Have they been tortured or abused? The statistics tell us that it’s almost inevitable. Will he kill them at some point in time?’

Complete silence from the crowd.