Nervousness bubbled up inside her as he followed her into her home. It was no secret that they liked each other, but they had been friends for so long, taking things to the next level was a welcome but daunting prospect.

She groaned as she picked up the yellow padded envelope nestling under a fresh crop of junk mail. ‘I wish they’d stop sending this crap through the post. Last week I got a pack about a retirement home.’

‘Hang on, that’s not junk mail,’ Will said, securing the door behind them.

Jennifer gave Will a wilted look as she walked through to the kitchen, ripping the envelope open.

If it were anything suspicious she would risk a telling-off from forensics to find out what it was.

‘It’s very light …’ She paused, dipping her hand inside. Peering into the envelope, her fingers found a thin-strapped satin camisole top. ‘What the…?’ she said, passing the envelope to Will as she held it up by its straps. For a fleeting second she wondered if it was some sort of joke Will had orchestrated, until she realised one side was slightly heavier than the other. She spun it around to see a plastic security tag attached. ‘It’s still got the tag on.’

Will took a corner of the envelope and turned it upside down. A shiny black feather lightly touched the black granite counter.

‘It’s from him,’ Jennifer whispered, dropping the camisole on the counter like it was hot.

‘I’m not having this,’ Will growled, tense and muscled as he headed for the stairs.

‘Wait, where are you going?’

‘To check upstairs. This joker’s playing with us.’

Jennifer groaned. Three objects sent to taunt her. How many more were there to come? And if each one represented a death, then who was connected to the camisole? Or was it meant for her? She shuddered. They had to catch the killer before he moved on to someone else. Opening her handbag, she pulled out a clear evidence bag and popped the letter in one. A supply of PVC gloves and evidence bags may have seemed like an unusual assortment among her lipstick, antiseptic wipes and car keys, but Jennifer was detective through and through, and always prepared. As she opened the bag for the camisole, Jennifer’s heart quickened. She had been given her first proper clue.

‘I recognise this label,’ she said, before dropping the cami inside. She sighed. Their alone time would have to wait.

She grabbed her car keys and shouted up the stairs to Will. ‘Fancy a trip into town?’

[#]

‘Good morning, my lovely, what can I do for you?’ the tall blonde woman behind the smooth backlit counter said.

‘Hi Jacqui, I’m here on police business I’m afraid.’

Jennifer had known Jacqui since school. After her modelling career failed, she set up a lingerie shop in Haven, which had since grown to a chain. Jacqui divided her time between each store, but always returned to her hometown. The spacious store was a shoplifter’s dream, and it would have been easy to get lost in the rows of padded hangers displaying various brands of elegant lingerie, nightwear, and dressing gowns.

Jennifer pulled out the camisole top, still in its clear plastic bag. ‘I was wondering if you could trace this. It appears to have come from your store.’

Jacqui pulled the glasses from the top of her blonde bouffant and pushed them onto the bridge of her nose. Her heavily made-up eyes widened as she peered through the bag.

‘Ah yes, I recognise that label.’ She scanned the item into her till software. ‘There it is. That’s a brand new line. We only put it on display a couple of days ago. Damn thieves, they always go for the most expensive products.’

Jennifer felt a flicker of excitement. ‘A couple of days ago? That narrows it down.’ Her face tilted up as she looked for cameras. ‘Do you have CCTV?’

Jacqui nodded. ‘Of course, for all the good it does. And as for these tags … I spent a fortune installing them, but they always find new ways of getting past the scanners. I should shut this store down and concentrate on the others, but I like being in Haven.’ Jacqui pushed her glasses back onto her head and handed back the evidence bag.

Jennifer completely understood the hold Haven had over its inhabitants. ‘Could I have a look at the CCTV?’

‘Babe, I’d like nothing better, but I’m a technophobe. I’ll get one of the staff to download it and call you when it’s ready.’

Jennifer pushed the object back into her black leather bag. ‘Thanks. I’ll submit this for fingerprint testing, they use a special oil to test the material. I’m afraid it won’t be any use to you afterwards.’

Jacqui grimaced. ‘I wouldn’t want it back anyway, now someone’s mucky paws have been all over it. Anyway, my lovely, what about you? Any men on the scene? All those hot cops in your station, there must be someone.’

Jennifer shrugged, relieved that she had asked Will to wait outside. Jacqui would have eaten him alive. ‘No, they’re in short supply and I’m too busy with work for all that.’

Jacqui raised her finger in the air, the nail painted her signature siren red. ‘I have just the thing. Why don’t you come to mine next weekend? I’m having a Botox party. I’ll give you the first jab on the house.’

The first one? How many do I need? Jennifer thought, the prospect filling her with horror. ‘Sorry, I’m working, some other time maybe. Oh, can I get you to sign this disclaimer form before I go?’ She swiftly changed the subject, remembering why she did not spend much time with her old friend.

[#]

A tall hazelnut latte awaited Jennifer as she joined Will at Costa Coffee three doors down. Closing her eyes, she savoured the long, slow mouthful.

‘I fancied something sweet, do you want some?’ he said, shoving an almond croissant towards her.

Jennifer smiled, before sliding out a mirror from her bag. ‘Do I need Botox?’ she asked, frowning at her reflection in the compact mirror.

‘Botox? Don’t be daft,’ Will said. ‘Where’s that come from?’

Snapping the mirror shut, she threw it in her bag and shook her head. ‘Nothing, it’s just Jacqui being her normal self.’ It had only been a couple of hours since breakfast, but the smell of fresh pastry wafted towards her and she tore off a corner.

‘Any joy with the camisole?’

Jennifer covered her mouth to shield any offending pastry flakes. ‘It’s been nicked in the last forty-eight hours. She’s going to burn off the CCTV.’

Will rubbed his soft blond whiskers. ‘It has to be Raven. He could be watching us right now.’ He glanced around at the passers-by.

Jennifer took a sip of her coffee. ‘Or that could be a smokescreen. But why send stuff to me?’

‘Why not? You’re a police officer. He wants us sitting here trying to work it out. Otherwise why bother sending clues to the same person every time?’

‘I’d just like to know their end game,’ Jennifer said. ‘I thought I was getting a connection with Alan Price’s death and The Reborners cult, but Felicity Baron? It makes no sense.’

Will tilted his head to one side as he considered the prospect. ‘Unless they’re random killings. I mean, does there have to be an end game?’

‘There’s always an end game. It’s our job to find out what it is, before anyone else gets hurt,’ Jennifer said. But it did not appear to comfort Will, whose face was still knotted in a frown.

‘My main concern is that they’ve been in your car and know where you live.’

‘I know. But the important thing for now is to work out the connections then try to predict what he’s going to do next,’ Jennifer said. ‘Ethan has spoken to the DI on the Murder Investigation Team and presented them with our evidence. Don’t be surprised if you get a call to check your statement about finding the evidence in my car. They’ve got teams of people swarming all over this guy, and yet there’s no trace. Another predicted death is on its way. I can feel it.’

Will laid his hand over hers, his honey brown eyes full of concern. ‘I know we’re in Operation Moonlight, but it’s important to look at this rationally. The way I see it, this Raven guy is some loon making up predictions and following them through. He probably believes they’re real but they’re all in his head. That’s what makes him dangerous. He’s on some kind of mission, and for some reason it involves you.’