Burgess had phoned to share the news that some of the other cases against Caxton were strong enough, though no one else recollected a witness, or a second participant, the way Linda Palmer had. The earliest complainant to come forward so far was a seventy-year-old woman from 1962, and the most recent in her early forties, from 1988. According to Burgess, their accounts matched that of Linda Palmer in terms of the suddenness and brutality of his attacks, though both were roughly fondled, not actually raped. Like Hobbes’s view of life itself, Caxton’s attacks on women were nasty, brutish and short. He struck swiftly as a rattlesnake, and sudden as a snake’s bite, it was over. Though Banks was willing to bet it didn’t seem that way to the victims; it certainly hadn’t to Linda Palmer.

The drive over the top end of the North York Moors had been spectacular, the roads far busier than usual because of the glorious weather. He had kept the music quiet—playing some acoustic Richard Thompson and a Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden CD—and Winsome hadn’t complained. After a hurried lunch at a country inn outside Goathland, going over their preparatory notes one last time, they were ready for the interview.

Winsome had been reading up on Caxton’s biography during much of the journey, and as they crested the final rise before the imposing wrought-iron gates with a sculpted stone lion on top of each gatepost, she repeated to Banks, “I still don’t see what the point of this is, guv. It’s his word against hers. He’ll deny everything, if he’s got any sense. Stalemate.”

“Maybe he’ll slip up,” said Banks. “Perhaps we’ll rattle him. Who knows? Besides, don’t you want to get a look at how he lives, the lion in its lair? At least we’ll go away with some sense of the measure of the man, maybe even knowledge of a few of his weaknesses.”

“I hope so,” said Winsome. “But why not take him into custody for questioning? He’s got home advantage here. We could put him in an airless interview room, make him wait . . .”

“We don’t want to make that move yet,” said Banks. “Don’t forget, there are others. Linda Palmer wasn’t the only one. As Burgess said, there’ll be county forces queuing up to have a chat with him before long. We’re first in line. And when push comes to shove, we’ll be the ones to bring him in.”