‘Are you quite sure you want to go down there – on your own? Can you not call for backup and get some male officers here to go down with you?’

Cathy had just been wondering the same thing, although normally she would have given anyone who spoke like that a piece of her mind for being so outright sexist; however, on this occasion she actually agreed with the girl. But then she shook her head. ‘I think there’s enough of us to handle anything that might be down there.’

Dawn pulled the heavy door open and stood holding it. ‘If I hear any screaming I’m slamming this door shut and locking you all in.’

‘You’re fucking not. If you hear us screaming you get on the phone and ask for urgent assistance and give us a chance to get out of there. I’m telling you now, do not lock us in.’

Annie smiled. It wasn’t often she heard her boss swear in front of members of the public but she had a fair point. She didn’t want to be locked in that cellar for anything. Knowing that they might be standing dithering on that top step for the next hour, she leant forward and pulled the light-string and the bulb came to life. Dawn smiled and Annie took this as a good sign. So she began to walk down the stairs, followed by Cathy, then Tracy and Sam, who had her finger poised over her emergency button should they need help.

All four of them had switched on their torches. The cellar smelt like a cellar should again. It was damp and mouldy. It didn’t smell as if there were any rotting bodies tucked away. She tried her best to push the picture of the grey face with the sharp teeth out of her mind. They shone the torches around and began checking every corner, nook and cranny. Nothing. There was no one there. Annie walked towards the iron grate, her heart racing. Cathy was behind her and they both leant over, shining the light down into the dark hole. This time there was no sudden movement. It was empty and Annie almost cried with relief.

‘Right, come on, you lot. Let’s get back upstairs before that woman freaks out and locks us down here.’

Cathy led the way and Annie was the last to reach the steps. A sharp scratch against the iron railings made her hair stand on end. She paused, wondering if she was imagining it, but then it happened again and this time it was much louder. She pushed Tracy’s back and shouted, ‘Run.’

Cathy was already out of the door and the other two didn’t need telling twice. They shot up the last few steps closely followed by Annie, who fell out into the corridor. Dawn slammed the cellar door shut, sliding the bolts across. Annie began to help her click the padlocks into place then turned to see her three colleagues, who were all white-faced and wide-eyed.

‘What was it?’

‘I don’t know, boss; I probably just spooked myself.’

Cathy laughed. ‘Jesus, you should have seen your face! That’s the last time I’m coming on a job with you. Scared the shit out of me, and those two look as if they’ve seen a ghost.’

All four of them began to laugh but Dawn didn’t. She shook her head and went back into the kitchen to check on Martha. She nodded at the old woman and Martha crossed herself, thanking the Lord that all four officers had made it out of the cellar alive. The others followed Dawn into the kitchen and Annie smiled at Martha. Inside she was shaking and scared but she wouldn’t let anyone see just how scared she was.

‘We just need to check the grounds now and then we’re done.’

‘Good. Tell me, officer, what did you see or hear down there?’

Everyone stood still, waiting to hear Annie’s reply.

‘I heard a sharp scratching sound, against the metal grating, but I didn’t see anything and it might have been rats.’

Martha nodded her head. ‘I think you and your friends had a very lucky escape. Next time you won’t be so lucky. If you need to come back and go down there you bring big, strong men with guns. And if you have no guns, then bring whatever it is you use to kill animals that are big enough to steal children and grown men.’

***

Henry had the head in a cool box surrounded by bags of frozen ice. Much to Megan’s disgust he’d tried to put it into the freezer in the caravan, but it wouldn’t fit. So after much begging by Megan he’d agreed to dump it somewhere that Annie could find it. He’d made Megan stay at the caravan. They would look far too conspicuous as a pair, walking around at night with a cool box. He’d managed to fob her off by telling her if he got caught it didn’t mean that she would be. He wouldn’t tell a soul where she was hiding, and if he wasn’t back in two hours she was to pack her stuff and leave.

He thought about putting it outside the police station on the steps, but there were bound to be cameras on the doors to the building or looking onto it. As he drove past he looked to see if her bright red Mini was there and was surprised not to see it. He knew she was on duty because he’d phoned the 101 number and asked if she was available. The operator had told him she was on patrol but he could leave her a voicemail if he wanted. Henry had been sorely tempted. What would she think on hearing him speaking to her in the flesh? But he’d decided against it. Far too risky. They might be able to trace it back or something.

He wondered if she’d got a new car. The only one that was worthy of her was the shiny black Mercedes, but he didn’t think her wages would be enough to pay for that. It probably belonged to the inspector. There was a battered old Clio next to the Mercedes and an Astra. He parked up the street and watched the station. There were no police vehicles parked outside so they must all be busy working.

Getting out of his car he pulled his baseball cap down and pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up. He walked up and down a couple of times. There were no cameras. Henry grinned to himself. He was probably going to regret this but he had to see if it was possible. He tried the boot of the Astra, which was locked; he didn’t even touch the Mercedes as it was bound to have a fancy alarm system. Then he tried the Clio and much to his surprise it opened.

After pushing it back down but not quite shutting it, he jogged back to his car and drove down until he was parked directly in front of the boot of the Clio. He walked around to the passenger side of the car. With one hand he pushed the car boot open and with the other he pushed the lid from the cool box off and scanned the area. There was no one around so he pulled out the plastic bag containing the head and unzipped it. He dropped the head into the boot of the car then screwed the bag up and stuffed it into his pocket. If it was her car it would be a massive bonus, but if not it didn’t matter. She would know it was a present meant for her.

Once inside the car he stripped off the latex gloves he had been wearing for the last ten minutes. He hated them. They made his hands sweat too much and they smelt terrible. Checking around to see if anyone had watched his little performance, he was satisfied that they hadn’t. He put his foot down and drove off in the opposite direction, a smile on his face that would be there for at least the next half an hour. He didn’t want to go back to Megan just yet. He needed to find a secluded place so he could park, sit back and enjoy his time alone for a while.

31 December 1930

A sodden James and two policemen came back into the kitchen, with no Joe and solemn faces. The weather had turned nasty outside and if he was out there somewhere he would get hyperthermia. He wasn’t dressed for the torrential rain that was now hammering against the glass windows. Eleanor looked at her husband, who did not want to look her in the eyes.

‘What are we to do now, James? Is that it? You can’t stop looking. None of us can stop looking. I can’t stay here not knowing where he is. Boys don’t just disappear into thin air.’

The policemen looked at each other. Neither of them knew what to say or do because Eleanor Beckett was right.