‘Kate, I don’t know what’s got into you, but –‘

‘I’ll tell you what’s got into me. I’m angry, Josh. Angry that I had to find a dead baby girl floating in the ocean. Angry that I couldn’t breathe life back into her little cold body. Angry that Cassie opened a box to find a terrible present. Fucking fingertips, for Christ’s sake. I’m angry that that bastard used his daughter like a cheap whore, snatched away her teenage years, and that she’s still being made to suffer, seven years after his death.’ Her voice started to break up, as her words degenerated into sobs. ‘And I’m – angry – with – with you.’

His voice was quiet, tender. ‘Listen, Kate. Do you want me to come over?’

She wiped back the tears with her hand.

‘No, you wouldn’t want to do that. Obviously you can’t.’

‘It seems you’re upset. And –‘

‘Aren’t you at home? What about Jules?’

He lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘She’s asleep. But I can –‘

‘Don’t bother. I think it’s best if we don’t see each other at the moment.’

‘But Kate –‘

‘It’s for the best, Josh. Really, it is.’ She took a deep breath, as she tried to regain control of her emotions.

‘And what about the child?’

‘What about it?’

‘Will I be able to see it?’

She bit her lip to prevent the tears from flowing. ‘I’m – I’m not sure. Yes, I guess so, in time. Anyway it’s still very early days. I’m only - ’

‘Kate – why did we ever –‘

‘Let’s not talk about that now. I don’t think I could bear it.’

‘But promise me, whatever happens, you won’t push me away completely. I don’t want that child to grow up without a father. I know what it’s like not to have a dad. And I can tell you it’s not much fun.’

‘Okay, Josh. Okay.’

There was a pause. ‘What did Roberta say? Anything that might be useful?’

‘Not much in terms of new information. I think she feels guilty about what happened. She even said that at times she thinks perhaps she should have carried on living with Gleason.’

‘What?’

‘If he had carried on abusing her then none of the other girls would have been killed. It would have saved a lot of suffering.’

‘Jesus Christ.’

‘I know.’

‘But Kate. I know you like to go off and do your own thing. And I know there’s no point in me telling you not to. But promise me you’ll be careful.’

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Outside her bedroom Kate could hear someone move down the corridor towards the library. Perhaps her mother could not sleep.

Josh cleared his throat. He wished he didn’t have to tell her. ‘And there’s something you need to know. It looks like we’re dealing with two killers.’

‘What?’

‘Although the cases are connected by Gleason, we think that whoever murdered Garrison is not the same person who killed Sara-Jane Gable, not the same person who sent Cassie those fingertips.’

Josh explained Curtis’ theory.

‘It certainly makes sense,’ said Kate. ‘But I don’t understand what could possibly link them together.’

‘Perhaps there’s no logical reason.’

‘That doesn’t make your job any easier.’

‘Too right.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘I don’t know. That’s the scary thing. I don’t have a fucking clue, Kate.’

She wished she could take his head in her hands and wrap her arms around him like she used to do. But that wasn’t about to happen. Not now.

She willed herself to think, not to feel. She was about to ask a question about the other men who had spent time with Gleason in prison when Josh whispered her name.

‘Kate. I still care, you know that, don’t you?’

She could not speak. ‘I’ve got to go now. Let’s talk soon.’

‘Just one more thing, quickly. I’ve got to give a press conference tomorrow, about the case.’

‘Okay. What you gonna say?’

‘Just the facts. And make an appeal for information. You never know, we might get some kind of lead out of it. But I don’t want to get into Garrison’s death. I want them to concentrate on helping us find this sicko first.’

‘Probably a good idea.’ She hesitated. ‘Also, I wanted to tell you that I’ve been approached by Cynthia Ross.’

‘I hope you told her what to do.’

‘Well I did – until I found out she knows I’m pregnant.’

‘What?’

‘Josh – I don’t want my pregnancy to get out into the public domain. After everything that’s happened –‘

‘Yeah, sure. I agree. But –‘

‘So I’m going to talk to her – just to keep her on my side. She’s agreed not to mention my condition if I do.’

‘And you believe her?’

‘I know she’s untrustworthy and a liar, but - ’

‘As long as you know what you’re doing.’

‘Well, not really. But when have I ever.’

Josh laughed. ‘Let’s talk tomorrow. ‘Night.’

Josh hung on the line, expecting her to respond, but she cut the connection. If she had stayed talking to him she didn’t know what she might have said. She couldn’t trust herself. She got out of bed and walked over to her window. She opened the door to the balcony and stepped outside. The night air was warm, the smell from the garden below sweet and sickly. The moon cast its silver glow over the land outside, creating strange shadows. The city glowed in the distance, an amorphous chaotic mass.

Two killers – maybe more – were out there somewhere. One of them wanted to scare her, hurt her, maybe even kill her. And what about Cassie? What would they do to her?

She knew that outside her mother’s house was a police car. That her every move was monitored and that with the cops’ protection it was unlikely she would ever come to any harm. But how long could she continue like this? She wasn’t going to live in fear. That wasn’t her style. She would have to do something.

She felt a flutter inside her. Surely it was far too early for it to be the baby, wasn’t it? The baby. She tried to think ahead to a time after she had given birth, tried to imagine herself holding the child in her arms. She closed her eyes, willing herself to picture the scene. But there was nothing there but a dark emptiness.