Latuske nodded, then pushed her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose. ‘I think this is what you’re interested in. A story that both Rose and Jess wrote.’

She clicked on a link, bringing the story up on the screen. Patrick felt that tingle – the one that made him love this job. Chelsea Fox hadn’t been wrong. This was it – the link.

The story was called Fresh Blood and according to the stats Patrick could see on screen it had been read 343,524 times and had thousands of comments.

‘I remember this story,’ Dawn said. ‘It was really popular last autumn, I think. It would have been featured on the homepage at one point. I didn’t realise it had been deleted.’

Patrick couldn’t make out all of the text on the screen. ‘Is it about OnTarget?’

Dawn laughed. ‘Yes. Well, Shawn and Blake. They’re vampire princes . . .’

Patrick and Carmella exchanged a look.

‘. . . who both fall in love with a mortal girl called Ella. It’s quite . . . fruity, as I recall.’

‘Hang on,’ said Patrick, spotting something. ‘The authors’ names . . .’

He stood up and moved closer to the screen, wondering if he needed glasses.

‘There are four co-authors,’ he said. ‘MissTargetHeart, YOLOSWAG, F-U-Cancer and Jade.’

‘That’s right,’ said Dawn.

He turned to her. ‘Can you give me the real names of the other two users?’

‘I don’t know.’

He slammed his palms down on the table. ‘Dawn. These girls could be the next targets of a serial killer. I need to know their names.’

Dawn Latuske swallowed visibly. He could see the war going on in her head: job versus conscience.

In the end, she switched off the screen, tapped her iPad a few times and said, ‘I need to use the loo.’

She got up, leaving the meeting room, the iPad still on the table. Carmella grabbed it.

‘Here we go. Jade Pilkington and Chloe Hedges. We’ve got their addresses, dates of birth and email addresses.’ Patrick took out his Moleskine to note the details down, but Carmella took a photo of the iPad screen using her iPhone.

Patrick put his notepad away, feeling hopelessly old-fashioned.

‘Chloe Hedges,’ Carmella said. ‘How come I know that name?’

‘I . . . Oh shit – she was Jess’s best friend. Gareth interviewed her. Right, let’s head back to yours, pick up your car and you go to Jade’s address while I head to Chloe’s.’

Chapter 49

Day 14 – Chloe

Chloe’s stomach was fizzing with excitement. Even though they hadn’t confirmed a date and time yet, she felt as though the imminent meeting with Shawn Barrett had been dropped into the puddle of her insides, like the lurid Vitamin C tablets in water that her mum forced her to drink every morning. It was a secret that was hers and Shawn’s alone and she hugged it to herself with glee, feeling so grown-up to have been entrusted – by one of the most famous people in the country – with such a responsible and glamorous task. They had exchanged a dozen or so messages on the private message board of the forum over the past twenty-four hours, to the point that it had almost become normal to see his name pop up in her inbox. Almost. Their conversation had developed from Shawn’s first, slightly formal request into a more chatty tone. She might, if she allowed herself, even believe that Shawn was flirting with her.

It was too exciting for words.

Last night, she had been telling Shawn how lucky she felt to be alive, after the cancer, and that had made her think about Rose and Jess, and her idea about what had happened to them, the connection that had led to their deaths. Before she could chicken out she had sent Shawn a message:

 

You know those girls that were murdered? Rose and Jess. I knew them on StoryPad, co-wrote a story with them along with another friend. I’ve been thinking: what if it’s got something to do with their deaths?

A reply had come back ten minutes later.

Why would it, babes?

She wrote back. I don’t know. But . . . we did something . . .

She needed to tell someone, after all this time keeping it secret, hiding her shame over what she and the other girls had caused to happen. She let it all out now, spilling the secret that only she and Jade, and possibly Kai, knew about. The terrible thing they’d done. She’d wanted to ask Kai about it the other day, when he came to see her to get Jade’s UV nail lamp back, but he’d been acting like such a dick that she changed her mind. Kai was making out that he was a massive hero, that Jade was going to think he was the bee’s knees for getting the lamp back. All Jade had needed to do was ask. Instead, her dozy boyfriend had messaged her via the forum and arranged to come to her house to pick the lamp up. Chloe guessed Jade simply didn’t want to see her, because of what had happened before.

When she’d finished writing to Shawn she sat back, sweating, wondering if she’d done the wrong thing. She was pretty sure Shawn would understand. That he would believe her when she said she had no idea it would all get so out of hand. But what if he didn’t? What if it made him hate her? She waited for five excruciating minutes before a reply came back.

It wasn’t your fault, he wrote. How could you have known that would happen?

She exhaled with relief.

Do you think I should tell the police?

Another long pause while he typed.

Why don’t you leave it to me? I met the chief detective on the case. Let me talk to him, see what he thinks. I’ll put in a good word for you.

She had tears in her eyes now. He was such a good person. So lovely.

Thank you ☺ she wrote.

No probs, babes. So . . . ready to meet up? How does this afternoon sound?

She didn’t hesitate. Perfect, she wrote. I can’t wait!!

She called goodbye to her mum, saying that she was going out shopping with a friend, and let herself out of the house before her mother noticed the amount of make-up she was wearing, and that she had on platform shoes that weren’t strictly suitable for shopping. Trembling with excitement, she pulled out her phone and double-checked the instructions. A car would pick her up outside the newsagent’s round the corner at 4 p.m. – obviously Shawn didn’t want to arouse suspicion by having the car pick her up from home. It was 3.57 p.m.

This was really happening! As she let herself out of the front gate, her face entirely overtaken by a massive grin, she turned to see her little brother upstairs, gazing curiously out through his bedroom window at her. When he caught her eye he made a horrible face at her, squishing his nose against the glass and pressing his splayed fingers up on either side of his face. She laughed, louder than she normally would have done – a welcome release of the bubble and fizz of adrenalin – and he looked suitably gratified.

Bless him, she thought. He’s all right really, for a kid brother.

Life felt great.

She couldn’t help entertaining a fantasy that Shawn fancied her and that this was just an elaborate ruse for him to get to know her. They’d keep their relationship secret for a while – how long? A few months, probably, because after all she was only just sixteen. God, though, better make it longer. The OnT fans would rip off her head if they found out she was going out with Shawn. Come to that, she thought, they’d probably rip her head off right now if they knew where she was going.

Not that she knew where they were going either. Shawn had said it was best that way, in case his messages were being hacked and the press turned up.