Just then a car pulled up and a tired, angry-looking man in a tracksuit got out. He pulled out a bunch of keys from his pocket and went straight to the padlock chain on the door without saying a word. Four locks later, the door was open and they were going inside.

Although there had definitely been people inside since the building had shut down, it wasn’t inhabited now. Kids probably went there to drink these days, Imogen thought. As they progressed through the corridor, Imogen could smell that unforgettable smell. The sweet rotting odour of a dead body that had been left to its own devices for several days. The last time they had been confronted with something like this, Imogen had thrown her clothes away afterwards. Not even detergent could get rid of that smell. It got inside you. Was this another victim? Whose body were they about to find? Had Parker already found the person he was looking for?

‘Have you had a problem with squatters at this building at all?’ Imogen asked the estate agent.

‘One or two. Nothing significant. They are usually gone after a day or so,’ the man said, covering his mouth and squinting. ‘What is that smell?’

‘You can wait here if you want. I have a feeling you’re not going to want to see what we find in that room over there,’ Imogen said, looking at Matt Walsh knowingly.

‘There’s definitely a dead body in this building somewhere,’ Matt said rather less subtly.

‘Could be a fox? We’ve had a couple of those getting through the back,’ the estate agent said hopefully.

‘Best to stay here, be on the safe side,’ Matt suggested.

The man’s face had softened from anger into obedience. Thankfully he wasn’t one of those curious types who were fascinated with the idea of a dead body. Whenever they got one of those, Imogen made a mental note to remember their face, because there was something very disturbing about a person who could take delight in the dead.

Imogen proceeded with caution. There was one closed door at the end of the hallway and they both knew that there was someone inside. Who it was, was another matter. Knowing how this case had gone so far, they couldn’t be sure of anything. And they certainly hadn’t been ahead of the game at any point in time. The estate agent was a way behind them now, still hovering by the door. Imogen had learned to brace herself whenever the possibility of a body left by Parker was on the cards. She put her hand on the doorknob and glanced at Matt.

‘Ready?’

‘As I’ll ever be,’ he said.

Imogen turned the doorknob and pushed the door a little. The smell intensified and she coughed as it hit the back of her throat. She found herself wanting to close her eyes, but she didn’t. The room was dark and the blinds were drawn shut. Matt shone his torch into the room. There were some chairs and a couple of tall dark wooden cupboards. That’s when they saw the body slumped against the wall in the corner next to one of the cupboards. It was settled like a sack of flour settles into its creases and folds. There was a pulsating buzz around it – the heat of the room had brought in the insects and they had started to feast on whoever it was. There was the unmistakeable sound of rats – hard to explain if you have never heard it, but it was a sinister clicking shuffle with the occasional squeak.