Looking sheepish, Bartlett left the room.

Christ, people like this drive me mad,' Sophie said to Marsh. So many people bury their heads in the sand when there's a crisis, hoping someone else will deal with it. Bartlett's one of them. I bet he doesn't get the permanent job.' She sighed. Although maybe he will. I don't know what kind of person they want for this type of role.'

Marsh said nothing.

Finally they were on their way back to Swanage, with Marsh driving. Sophie looked at the list.

There's an Andrew Renshaw on it, Barry. That's the name supplied by Southampton CID in the Debbie Martinez case. It's got to be him. So why can't we trace him? I'll phone Lydia.'

Pillay was waiting for them when they got back to Swanage.

Ma'am, I think I've just found something in the old records. There was a teenage lad who was in a lot of trouble in Southampton some fifteen years ago. He was called Andrew Renshaw. Arson, animal cruelty, petty theft, violent and abusive behaviour. He ended up in a young offenders' institute. His date of birth tallies exactly.'

Those offences are the key signs of a psychopath in the making. But we haven't been able to find anything else on that name, have we? Every single man with that name in Dorset and Hampshire has been checked and cleared. Yet clearly he's the man we're looking for.'

Either he's moved outside the area, or he must have changed his name. Officially, I mean. I can't think of any other reason, ma'am.'

I'd go with the second. We already know he's been using different names. And I think he's still in the area. If his parents didn't marry, or they split up, he may have got used to using two surnames, and that's what gave him the idea. If so, he uses Ridgway and Renshaw. But neither has come up with anything. Nor has Rule, the alias we think he's been using.'

So his current name isn't any of those, and that's why we haven't made much progress in finding him?' added Marsh. It could be anything.'

Well, if that's the case we may be in for a hard slog. At least we have his car now. Fingers crossed, we might get somewhere with that once forensics have finished.'

Tracy Beck was restless and bored. Living in a hotel with views across Poole's picturesque quayside was okay for a day or two, but now she just wanted to get back to her normal life. She liked the reassurance of everyday life with her daughter and boyfriend in their small flat. She was beginning to appreciate what a home really was. It wasn't just a set of rooms behind a door, but somewhere she could let down her defences and be herself. Here in this hotel room she was restless and on edge. She looked out of the window and saw Rachel on the swing in the garden below. It was beginning to get dark so she opened the window to call Rachel in. She heard her daughter singing to herself as she swung to and fro, and decided against it. She leaned on the sill and watched her. Then, Tracy became aware of the smell of cigarette smoke and she wondered where it was coming from. She leaned further out and could just see a man's legs stretched out below. Someone was sitting in a chair directly under her window, smoking. And watching Rachel? She closed the window, hurriedly slipped a cardigan over her shoulders and left the room. Uneasy now, she hurried down the stairs, past the reception area and nearly cannoned into a tall, heavily built man coming in from the patio area. She gasped, but he was past her and gone.

Her sister-in-law called from the corridor behind her. When do you want your tea, Trace?'

Now Tracy was in a blind panic. She ran outside and stood on the patio. There was Rachel, still on the swing, still singing to herself. The little girl smiled and waved when she saw her mother. Tracy was shaking, her hands at her mouth, her eyes wide with fear. That man. It was him. Rachel's father, Andy. Why was he there? What had he been doing, watching Rachel like that? She ran over, sobbing, and hugged her daughter.

What is it, Mummy?' asked the little girl.

Tracy couldn't answer. It was all she could do to prevent the vomit from rising in her throat.

Back in the incident room Sophie's mobile phone rang. Hi, Tracy . . . What? Are you sure? Did he recognise you?' Sophie scrabbled for a sheet of paper on her desk. It should be Kim Lockwood with you at the moment, Tracy. Is that right? Is she there? Listen carefully. Stay in your room with Rachel and Kim, and lock the door. Get Kim to tell the manager what you're doing. I'll come across right now. Expect me in about half an hour. Can you put Kim on please?'

Sophie listened to the policewoman and told her what to do. Don't let anyone in, even Jerry, until we arrive. We'll phone when we get to the hotel. Is that clear? Phone back to your station and get a squad car to sit outside. Put them onto me if there's a problem. Okay?'

Sophie grabbed her jacket and ran to the door. You got the gist of that I expect, Lydia. Tracy says that our man Andy was in the hotel garden just now, watching the little girl.' As they rushed across the incident room she called out to Melsom. Jimmy, our man seems to have turned up at Tracy's hotel. Hold the fort while we're gone.'

Tracy had calmed down somewhat by the time they arrived. After a few words with her, Sophie left Pillay there while she and Marsh went downstairs to speak to Tracy's sister-in-law.

I served him a pint in the bar. He wanted to smoke and asked me where the garden was,' she said.

Did he give any clue about why he was here?'

I think it was sheer chance. While I was pouring his beer, he went to the loo to wash his hands. They were oily, as if he'd been working on machinery. I asked if he'd been working nearby, and he nodded. He didn't say anything else. I got the impression that he was a bit surly. I can't remember ever seeing him in here before. He drove off in a small, white van. Plain. No name on it.'

She could add nothing else. Sophie glanced at her watch and spoke to Marsh.

If we're quick we might be able to check some of the local businesses before they shut for the day. Let's think. Oily hands and machinery? Some of the premises across on the quay might be the best bet. I'll get Lydia. With three of us and a couple of the local plods we might strike it lucky if we get a move on.'

They gave up after an hour. Most of the businesses were already closed when they started the search, and the rest shut as the enquiry progressed. The only positive news was a probable sighting of the van earlier in the afternoon. It had nearly collided with a local worker's car at a mini-roundabout. The car driver had noted that the van drove off along the quayside and indicated left. From there he could have driven straight to the hotel.

So it does look as though he was working locally,' Marsh said. Should we come back tomorrow?'

Yes. We can kill the proverbial two birds. I'll get the local squads to check the warehouses, while we keep an eye on the hotel in case he decides to return. He doesn't seem to have recognised Tracy when he passed her. But he would have heard the sister-in-law calling her name out. So he may well be back, if only to satisfy his curiosity. We'll move Tracy and little Rachel to somewhere safe, and leave a watch on the place overnight. Then we'll all come back tomorrow morning, first thing.'

CHAPTER 21: Coffee and Bruises.

Thursday Morning Sophie wanted every member of the team to be aware of what they were confronting. Psychopaths often look absolutely normal. The wild-eyed and manic stereotype is a complete myth. It's just not possible to identify a psychopath from his or her appearance. They can be short, tall, slim, tubby, young, old, male or female. The only thing that sets them apart is their inability to feel empathy. They are incapable of feeling real emotional attachment to other people. Any emotions they do feel are shallow, so they tend to drift in and out of relationships. But most are not criminals. As far as I know, it's not clear what drives some of them to step over that line. Our man Andy is an example of the most extreme type. He's moved in and out of relationships, quite possibly carrying on several at the same time. He's lied to his partners. We know that because of the different surnames that he's used. In each relationship he's moved from casual bullying to extreme violence in a matter of months, and he won't see anything wrong with this, if he's true to type. To him, other people are present only to please him. He'll use them and then abandon them when it suits him. He won't feel remorse or a sense of shame. Any situation will be manipulated to give maximum benefit to himself. The extent of the lying is quite extraordinary. You and I feel a sense of guilt when we lie, so we give off tiny signals in our body language. It really doesn't work with an extreme psychopath. How can it? These tiny clues are the result of tension and guilt at telling a lie. But a psychopath feels no such guilt, so will give no clues. They'll just lie and lie until presented with hard evidence that they are lying. Then they'll switch their story immediately. But there is still no sense of anxiety created by the new lie, so it will be as smooth as the previous one.

Andy won't be feeling bad about any of these murders. At best he will feel irritation at the trouble they caused him. In each case it was the fault of the victim for boxing him into a corner where the only way out for him was to kill her. He will view each of these killings as a necessary act.

You all need to understand why I'm telling you this. I believe that we are getting close to him, and he knows it. That's why he killed Shaz Fellows on Tuesday night. She must have known something that could have identified him. It's just so tragic that we got to her a day too late. From what we can tell, he split with her last week but left her alone for the intervening time. He came back for her on Tuesday evening.

If we find him, I don't want him approached by any one of us alone, or even in pairs, not without major backup. He's a well-built man, and he's extremely violent. Whereas he murdered Brenda Goodenough and Susie Pater with a ligature, Shaz was strangled with his bare hands using brute force. Her face had been severely knocked about. It's possible he's started to lose control. But you also need to remember that psychopaths are very charming on the surface. They are experts at making people feel they are easy to talk to. He might attempt to schmooze you into a false sense of security if he suspects that you're unsure of him. We don't know whether he carries any weapons, so don't gamble. We aren't aware that he has firearms, but we must consider the possibility. I don't want us to put our lives at risk, nor any member of the public. So once we find him, we tread carefully. Is that clearly understood by everyone?'

She looked at each member of the team in turn. We work in pairs. No one is to go out on any part of the investigation on their own. We don't know when we might bump into him, who he might be considering targeting next. Our priorities must be the two exes we know about - Tracy Beck and Sasha Purfleet. Both are now in safe houses.'

Ma'am, has there been any further confirmation of who yesterday's second body was?' asked Lydia.

No. We're assuming it's Debbie Martinez. Our Southampton colleagues still can't trace her, and the hair colour matches. But we won't know for sure until the DNA tests are done. We'll be looking at a week before confirmation, I expect.'

Sophie paused. Finding the car was an extraordinary piece of luck. Okay, so the car number plates were missing, and he's removed all of the VIN plates. But there are still some readable digits on the engine.'

Marsh broke in. Ma'am, I didn't even realise that there was more to that pool than we could see from the first body-site, and I'm fairly observant. It was due more to your single-mindedness than to luck.'

Unfortunately, Barry, my single-mindedness, as you call it, wasn't enough to save Shaz Fellows. I regret that. At least we know that Sasha Purfleet's been moved somewhere safe, though Bob Thompson didn't find it easy to convince her. Kevin is organising a team to keep an eye on Sasha's old place to see if our man turns up there.' She glanced at the clock. We're all going to Poole to watch the hotel where he called yesterday. I'll have some backup available there in case we need it. I'm hoping that he'll have recognised Tracy and has decided to pay her another visit.'

They arrived in Poole early in the morning. Marsh drove Pillay in his car - which had not been used so far - and parked in the hotel car park. They waited inside the building. Sophie and Melsom found a parking slot on the quayside. They could see the hotel. The weather was dry, although a cold wind was blowing in from the sea.

Let's just stretch our legs before settling back in the car. I want to get a feel for the layout,' said Sophie.

She buttoned up her long coat, pulled on a hat and wrapped a scarf around her neck. They walked along the quay for several hundred yards until they were well beyond the hotel. Then they crossed the road and turned into a side street. Alongside the hotel were small shops selling tourist gifts, as well as an estate agents and a newsagents shop. The side street took them inland away from the quay for almost a hundred yards before they could turn west again. This road was composed of old, terraced houses, in keeping with the ancient port district. As they turned left once again, they could see the harbour in front of them. Sophie could see the top of the children's swing over the high wall of the hotel. Across the road was a triangular grass area, dotted with trees and bushes. Beside the small park were several cafes, each with a few tables set out on the pavement. In the cold early morning no one was sitting at the tables.

They returned to the car. Sophie took a small pair of binoculars from her bag.

How have you found the past two weeks, Jimmy?'

What do you mean, ma'am?'

Well, it's not every newly appointed DC who gets a chance to take a prominent role on a murder case, even a simple one, in their first few months. Yet here you are on a multiple murder investigation. They don't happen very often.'

It's been just the best thing, ma'am. I know that probably sounds a bit off, and I wish that murders didn't happen, but it's been great working with you and the others. I've learned so much. It's almost as if I've had more excitement in the past two weeks than all of the previous six months put together. And it's been so good that you've put me in charge of a couple of things, like the university stuff, and allowed me to get on with it.'

He looked out of the window, across to the hotel building.

Do you think he will really turn up here, ma'am?'

It's all speculation and probabilities, Jimmy. Why was he here yesterday? Was it him or was it just someone who looked like him? If it was him, why didn't he react when he saw Tracy? Assuming it was him, then it's likely that he'll go for Tracy rather than Sasha over in Bournemouth. And why was he so open about it? But then, maybe that's all part of his bravado. So yes, there's a chance he'll be back. I still think he wasn't looking for Tracy yesterday. Remember that Tracy told us that he was an engineer, and he worked in lots of different places. That sounds to me as if his work involves repairing or fitting machinery of some type. When he was living with her he spent a fair amount of time in Poole, working somewhere on the quayside. It sounds very much as if he did a job of some type here yesterday, and called into the hotel for a drink after work. Tracy's sister-in-law thought Andy behaved just like any other workman out for a quick drink before heading home. He didn't try to hide himself away in a corner. He went outside and had a smoke in full view of anyone from the hotel, and was there for a good ten minutes. And he didn't seem to recognise Tracy. But then that kind of bravado is typical of a psychopath. So it doesn't prove anything.'

But how could he have found where she was staying? The only people who knew were us and her partner.'

She's been there a couple of days, Jimmy. Word might have got out. But I'd rather go for the coincidence theory. And whether he'll turn up again depends on whether he realised who she was.'

Marsh and Pillay sat on a sofa and chair in the front bay window of the hotel. From there they could see the area outside, and the hotel entrance, as well as the interior reception area.

You've worked with the boss before, haven't you?' asked Marsh, sprawled in his soft chair.

Pillay nodded. About a year now. I don't work with her all the time, but this is the third case I've been on with her.'

How do you find her?'

It's always hard work, but she's absolutely straight. There are no hidden agendas with her, unlike some of the others I've worked with. But she does expect total dedication when a case is on. The first case I was involved with, there was a DS who wasn't pulling his weight. She dumped him within a few days. I haven't seen him since, but he's probably doing something mind-blowingly boring. The thing is, she's totally tenacious. She never gives up and she's got this incredibly logical brain. I think she's a bit of a one-off.'

I was amazed last week when she told us about her background. Did you know already?'

Some of it. She doesn't hide her background, but she wouldn't want it spread about unnecessarily. Apparently she told Jimmy a couple of days ago that she used to sneak into university dances when she was way under-age and still at school. He was gobsmacked. But it'll be true. I met her elder daughter, Hannah, once when I was waiting at her home, and she's pretty lively. But then, the boss is phenomenally clever. She did some kind of research paper as part of her master's degree, and it's still one that people refer to even now, some ten years later.'

It makes me feel a bit inadequate.'

Well, join the club, Sarge. Her family are lovely. Her husband runs the maths department at one of the big county secondary schools, and he's really nice. He came to the Christmas party with her last year. That was some event.'

Why?'

I put it down to a mix of personality and looks. She really likes nice clothes and you see a different side of her at a social function. She loves dancing, and she gets a lot of attention. She wore this incredible, long, jewel-encrusted dress that fitted her like a glove. We all noticed that the chief constable danced with her more than his wife, including a couple of slow numbers. Apparently his wife went into a sulk and wouldn't speak to him for a week - but I bet that's just gossip.'

Marsh was silent.

. . . And the other one was a big charity do at Easter with a roaring-twenties theme.'

I remember seeing the publicity for that. I decided not to go in the end.'

Well, that really was something. She turned up with her elder daughter, Hannah, in matching, fringed flapper-dresses, both in deep red. They were just astonishing. They were on the dance floor most of the night. Hannah's at drama college, so you can understand it. But if the boss hadn't joined the police, she could have had a career as a professional dancer, believe me.'

I heard that one of her daughters was training to be an actress.'

That's the one. They looked so alike, it was uncanny. She really likes her clothes.'

She told me last week that was the way to a woman's heart, buying her some nice clothes.'

Probably just teasing you. Life's a bit more complicated than that, isn't it?'

They lapsed into silence, looking out over the quayside in front of the hotel.

Lauren Duke had woken early feeling conciliatory. She decided to give her new man another chance. Maybe his mood earlier in the week had a rational explanation. Maybe something had happened that he couldn't share with her.

She sat on the arm of the chair in her small student study and called him. The number rang three times before it was answered.

Hi-' was all she managed. Then he began.

If that's you, Tracy, I'll fucking find you wherever you are. Don't think I didn't recognise you. Think you can get one over on me? You stinking cow. Just you fucking wait. You always were full of pathetic shit.'

The line went dead. Lauren stared at her phone with horror and placed it slowly on the table. She backed away, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks. She had phoned him in order to suggest they meet for coffee. That seething, spitting voice - what on earth was going on in his head? One thing was clear. If he could speak like this then she was better off without him. She felt swamped by a feeling of total betrayal. The pleasant, protecting, safe and gentle giant of the weekend had somehow morphed into a raging monster. Which one was the real person? Or were they both real? Monday evening had been bad enough, with him switching moods so quickly. The changes had been astonishing, almost as if he had no real depth to his feelings at all. As if each of his moods was a skin he could step into, and which he could shed when it suited him. And finally, the vicious attack on the phone just now.

She decided to visit her father in Poole. She needed comforting, and her dad was the perfect person for this. He lived in a flat near the quayside. It would be peaceful there at this time of year.

Lauren took a fast train from Southampton to Poole and walked to her father's flat near the quay. He hadn't answered the doorbell, so she'd let herself in with her key. She'd just poured herself a glass of water when he arrived back from an early morning walk with his dog. His face lit up when he saw his daughter.

Lauren, sweetheart! You're a sight to gladden an old man's heart.'

She ran over and flung her arms around him.

Oh, I'm glad to see you, Dad!'

Something wrong?'

Well, sort of. But I think I'm okay.'

Let's sit down and you can tell me about it if you feel like it. But I don't want to pry. Is it trouble with that new man of yours?'

She burst into tears. I thought he was so lovely when we met at the weekend. But he was really foul just now. I feel like I've met some kind of monster. Something happened to him early this week, and it's almost as if it's turned his mind.'

Best to leave it, Lauren. I've met men like that on the docks. Cheerful and chatty one day, vile and moody the next. They never change.'

Oh, don't worry, Dad.' She wiped some tears from her cheeks. I've already decided. He was so abusive on the phone this morning, and I don't even think he knew it was me that had called him. I've been so upset. I needed someone to talk to.'