‘We’re bringing James Gatley in,’ DI Downes said, responding to Ruby’s update on her meeting with the priest. ‘What you’ve told me just confirms that we’re right.’ She was standing in Downes’s office, her eyes roaming over the two bar heater plugged into the corner of the room.

‘Where did you get that?’ she said, an amused smile touching her lips. ‘Don’t tell me you’re cold.’

‘It’s borrowed from lost property. Gets nippy in here after midnight,’ Downes said, bringing his attention to the paperwork on his desk.

‘Would you like me to bring in a pipe and slippers too?’ Ruby teased. ‘Or maybe you could go home of an evening and ask matron to keep you warm.’

Downes dropped the pen in his hand and exhaled a terse breath. ‘Have you just come here to take the piss or was there something you wanted to ask me?’

‘Sorry,’ Ruby said, looking anything but. ‘Has new evidence come to light?’

Downes nodded. ‘That CCTV you asked for, it shows James leaving his kiosk and getting a tube a few hours before Thomas was found. Then it shows him returning to work around the time the police reached the hotel.’

‘You think someone tipped him off?’

‘Perhaps Mason had second thoughts after he gave you the hotel address. Who knows? He lied about speaking to his father too.’

‘Oh,’ Ruby said. ‘I wasn’t expecting that.’

‘Well, it’s all grounds to bring him in, see what he has to say.’ He leaned back in his chair. His tie was loosened, his top shirt button undone. ‘Well done. You’ve worked hard on this case. We may just have our man.’

‘Team effort,’ Ruby replied, before her attention was drawn to a knock on the door.

‘Have you got a minute, sarge?’ Luddy said, walking in.

Ruby’s eyes fell to his empty hands. ‘Sure. Fancy putting the kettle on first?’ she asked, and was met with a smile.

---

Placing the chipped mug on her desk, Luddy cradled his own before taking a seat. Normally one to hover, he wore an expression of concern that told Ruby all was not well.

She rose to shut the door. As she took in Luddy’s guarded expression, she had a sinking feeling that a private conversation was ahead. ‘What’s wrong? Have you had a development?’

Staring at the froth floating on top of his coffee, Luddy seemed barely able to meet Ruby’s eye. ‘I might be in a spot of trouble,’ he said, his words barely audible.

‘Spit it out then,’ Ruby said. ‘You’re worrying me now.’

Luddy nodded, taking a sip from his coffee before placing his mug on the desk. ‘It’s my niece, Laura. She’s a volunteer in a helpline called Sanity Line. It’s a bit like the Samaritans except they work mainly with ex-offenders, but they’re available for anyone that needs to talk. Lately she’s had some worrying calls. I think it’s our killer.’

Ruby raised an eyebrow, leaning forward in her chair. ‘Really? What’s he said?’

Luddy relayed the calls, as well as Laura’s meeting with her supervisors and their warnings to keep things quiet. ‘She wanted to tell me sooner, but she was pressured to keep it to herself. She just wants to do the right thing.’

Ruby nodded as he spoke, waiting until he was finished before she raised her concerns. ‘There’s one thing bothering me about all this. You said that Laura realised early on that she was talking to the killer. But how did she know Cheryl and Melissa’s names? We’ve done really well to keep them out of the press.’ It was true. Thanks to Phillip Sherman threatening to sue, the recent spate of reports focused mainly on Mason Gatley’s historic murders, with sparse details about the present-day copycat.

Luddy lowered his head, avoiding her gaze. ‘That’s where me being in trouble comes in.’

Ruby frowned as she pre-empted his confession. It was unlike Luddy to cross the line. ‘Please tell me you’ve not told her about the case. You know what Worrow’s been like; she lost her nut when she thought the ins and outs of it was going to hit the press.’

A line deepened between Luddy’s brows. ‘We were all at a family do. I’d had a few drinks and let it slip that I was investigating the case. I mentioned the names Cheryl and Melissa and the fact the killer had used a dating site to lure them in.’

‘Hells bells!’ Ruby slammed her cup onto her desk before rising to her feet. ‘You do know you could get the sack for this, right?’

‘I’m sorry,’ Luddy replied, heat staining his cheeks. ‘It was stupid, I know. Laura wants to be a police officer one day. She asked me about work. I guess I was showing off that I was working on such a high-profile case.’

‘Exactly, high profile,’ Ruby said her voice rising an octave. ‘The clue is in the name.’ She slipped the blinds shut as heads began to spin in their direction. ‘For fuck’s sake, Luddy, if Worrow finds out she’ll have your balls for breakfast. I’d expect that sort of crap from some of the others but not you. Right in the middle of your sergeant’s exams too!’

‘I’ve never spoken about work with anyone before, I swear. Laura’s very discreet. I thought it wouldn’t go any further.’

‘Or you were drunk and shooting your mouth off,’ Ruby fumed.

‘I’m really sorry,’ Luddy said, looking up at Ruby as he sat, glued to his chair. ‘Is there any way I can keep my job by the end of the investigation?’

‘What investigation?’ Ruby said, slowly coming to ground.

‘Well… I presume PSD will be getting involved.’

The mention of professional standards department made Ruby grimace. ‘Why did you admit to this? You could have told me the caller filled Laura in on all the details. You didn’t need to say she got this first-hand from you.’

‘Because it’s the right thing to do,’ Luddy said.

Ruby shook her head. ‘You’ve got a lot to learn if you think that putting your job on the line over a stupid indiscretion is the right thing to do. Did it make you feel good impressing your niece? Do you hold your head a little higher now she thinks you’re the big man?’

Luddy drove his hand through his hair. ‘No, of course not. I’d had too much to drink. I wasn’t thinking…’

But Ruby was not ready to let him off the hook just yet. ‘Do you know how many suspects I’ve heard use those very words? “I didn’t mean to murder my wife; I had too much to drink when I drove into that child…”’

His face reddening, Luddy leapt to his feet. ‘With all respect, I’m not the only one in this team who’s made mistakes.’

Ruby’s expression hardened. She knew he was referring to her relationship with Nathan. Along with Downes, he was one of the few people who knew. What else could it be? ‘Don’t you see?’ she said. ‘I’m not talking about me, or the police as a whole. I know I’ve messed up my chances of promotion, but you have what it takes to go far. Don’t fuck it up now.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Luddy replied. ‘I shouldn’t have said what I did. I respect you as a sergeant…’

‘There’s no need to brown-nose me.’ Ruby rested her hands on her hips.

‘I wasn’t. This is my fault and I’ll hold up my hands to it. I’m ready to come clean when you want to make the call.’

‘There won’t be any investigation,’ Ruby said, her voice dropping. ‘Heaven help me, I need you on my team. But you need to come up with a different version of what happened, should we end up involving your niece.’ She paused, giving it some thought. ‘We’ll say that you told me your niece is a call taker from Sanity Line who has asked you for advice.’

‘But the murders?—’

Ruby finished Luddy’s sentence. ‘Were brought to light during the last call. Laura’s come to you as her uncle, and you, without any comment about your current caseload, have taken this information and reported it to me. Isn’t that right?’

‘Yes,’ Luddy said, staring at the floor.

‘Make it more convincing next time,’ Ruby replied. ‘We’ll need to take a statement. Arrange a visit. I need to speak to your niece in person, see if we can tease any more information out of this guy.’

‘Will do.’ Luddy turned to leave, the relief evident on his face.

‘Detective Ludgrove?’ Ruby said, pointedly using his official title.

Luddy turned to face her. ‘Yes?’

‘Don’t ever let me down like that again.’