Moss could see through the glass that the incident room was busy, and she took a deep breath before she went inside. Superintendent Hudson was with her, and when the officers saw Hudson enter with Moss, the room fell silent.

‘Good morning, everyone,’ said Melanie.

‘Morning, ma’am,’ the officers replied, almost in unison.

‘Erika – DCI Foster – has been called away on an urgent family matter. Her father-in-law is ill, and she has had to go to Manchester to be with him. Detective Inspector Moss will be taking over as the Senior Investigating Officer; she will be acting Detective Chief Inspector. I ask you to show her the same respect and courtesy that you show Erika. It’s very straightforward, but does anyone have any questions?’

The officers all looked at Moss standing beside Hudson, who looked a little uncomfortable, and no one said anything.

‘Good. Then I’ll let you take over, Moss.’

The moment Melanie left the room, and was out of earshot, everyone started to ask Moss questions about Erika, and when she would be back.

‘I know as much as the Superintendent,’ she said, putting her hands up to quiet them down. ‘Nothing has changed from yesterday. We are still hunting this bastard.’ She went to the whiteboard and pointed at the e-fit of the gas mask, and then moved to the line drawing of the gas mask that had been in the note sent to Joseph Pitkin. ‘We need to start finding links and unlocking information. We no longer have the luxury of questioning Joseph Pitkin, but I want to talk to his parents and see if we can find out more about this note. We also need to work on unlocking Marissa’s iPhone. She didn’t have a laptop or a PC, so all of her online activity on the iPhone could be crucial to this case.’

She moved along the whiteboard, to the photos of the other victims who had been attacked by the man in the gas mask.

‘We need to look for a link between the victims, if there is one. Something that the attacker zones in on. Now, the link has to be something deeper than just physical. The victims were different ages and sexes, ranging from twenties to late fifties, men and women. Of the two men who were attacked, one was straight and one was gay. There is only one murder. Marissa Lewis. She was also the victim who was targeted closest to home. All the victims were targeted either close to their homes or close to their place of work, near train stations. Marissa had arrived back on the late train and she got the furthest away from the train station of all the victims. Did the attacker slip up? In the most recent attack, the victim kicked out and dislodged the gas mask on the attacker’s face. Was Marissa killed because she saw the identity of the attacker? Or did she know the attacker?’

Moss moved along to the crime scene photos of Marissa. ‘In Isaac Strong’s post-mortem report, he says that the weapon was a long knife with a serrated edge. We still have no murder weapon, and time is moving fast. Perhaps now is the time for extreme measures. Perhaps we need to knock on every door in Coniston Road and check people’s cutlery drawers.’

There were a few smiles and laughter from the team. Moss held up her hand.

‘Okay, okay. I know I like a laugh, but I’m being serious here. What is it the boss says? There are no stupid questions. Well, I want to add to that: there are no stupid lines of enquiry.’

‘But you’re the boss now,’ said Kay.

‘Yes, I am.’

Moss went on, moving to the photos of the suspects and persons of interest.

‘Our list of suspects is dwindling. Joseph Pitkin, now dead – but there was a new gas mask attack yesterday, which seems to rule him out. The same applies to Ivan Stowalski, he died in hospital yesterday evening after being exposed to the gas leak at his house. It was self inflicted, and we are ruling it as suicide. We do, however, have Don Walpole: no record, cares for his alcoholic wife, but cheated on her with Marissa when Marissa was underage. Marissa then tried to blackmail him, saying she would go to the police about the underage sex. We attempted to get a voluntary DNA swab from him yesterday, but he wasn’t at home, and he wasn’t answering his phone. I am going to attempt this again today. Also, Marissa alleges that she stole a pair of diamond earrings from Mrs Fryatt. Another dancer from the Matrix Club states that she went to Hatton Garden with Marissa, and saw the earrings being valued, but Mrs Fryatt denies any jewellery was stolen from her, and no earrings have been found. Charles Fryatt runs a successful jeweller’s in Hatton Garden. There’s a bit of a question mark there.’

‘Could Marissa have got the earrings from an admirer?’ asked McGorry. ‘The boss… I mean, the other boss’ report, says that the girls in the clubs had a lot of admirers – rich guys, hanging around after shows in the hope that they’d get a bit more than a dance?’

‘Yes, but we need to rule all of this out. I want one of you to get back in contact with the girl who went with Marissa to the jeweller, and if needs be, one of us should take her back to Hatton Garden to see if she can remember which jeweller it was.’

There was a pause, and Moss looked around at the despondent faces. She felt the same inside, but was determined not to show it.

‘Okay. Let’s get to work and we’ll reconvene back here at 4 p.m.’

When the team dispersed and started to work, Peterson came over to Moss, and asked if they could speak privately.

‘You need to make it quick.’

‘Well done, by the way.’

‘Thanks. Although I thought she might ask you instead.’

He shook his head, and pulled her over to the back of the incident room, next to the line of photocopiers.

‘She found out last night, about Kyle and Fran,’ he said in a low voice.

‘Found out?’

‘She dropped round, late, at bath time. Kyle’s bath time, I mean.’

‘Obviously…’

‘I opened the door holding Kyle; he called me Daddy. Fran was there too.’

‘Shit.’

‘I tried to talk to her, but she drove off in her car, swerving up the road. I didn’t know if I should follow, but I didn’t, and now she’s gone off sick.’

Moss saw how worried he looked.

‘James, it’s nothing to do with you. It’s true that Mark’s dad had a fall and was rushed to hospital. He had to have an emergency hip replacement and there were complications. That’s why she’s gone.’

‘Oh, shit. She didn’t say anything to you about me?’ he said.

‘Her mind was on other things… As is mine.’

He nodded. ‘Okay. And well done, I’m made up for you taking over.’

‘Thanks. I need you and Crane to keep things moving here.’

‘Sure.’

Moss went over to Kay, who was sitting at her computer.

‘You’re with me today; I want to go and see the Pitkin family and ask some questions about Joseph.’