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staring out of the window, but never in the direction of the boathouse. I doubt she even knows we use her boat. She might not even realise there’s a boat in there; it’s been so long since anyone has been inside it. I wonder why she lives alone in that big house and never comes out? Still it’s very lucky for us, because otherwise we would have nowhere to take our next victim. Plus it’s right next door to the caravan site. It’s very convenient.’
    ‘So what’s the plan then, Henry? Are we going to take another woman and let you cut her head off or are you waiting for the woman you love?’
    She poked him in the ribs and he felt a brief flare of rage, so bright and red inside his chest that he didn’t speak. He didn’t like Megan being sarcastic about Annie and she must have sensed something.
    ‘Sorry, I’m only joking, you know. It’s just I really enjoyed the last time – well, except for having to keep her head in the freezer. It was a bit off-putting having that in a plastic bag next to the frozen sausages every time I looked inside.’
    ‘Patience. We have to take our time. These things can’t be rushed. It’s how you make mistakes, and if you make mistakes you end up being nearly burnt to death, stabbed and then locked up in a mental hospital.’
    He indicated to take the sharp turn into the caravan park, driving slowly because there were always kids running everywhere. The last thing he needed was to run one over and have the police crawling all over the place.
    ***
    The doorbell chimed and Martha looked up from the ball of pastry she was kneading with her gnarled hands. She wiped them on her apron and began to walk towards the front door. As she passed the cellar door she paused, sure that she’d heard a high-pitched giggle coming from somewhere down in the dark. Walking faster now she felt both relieved and terrified at the thought of opening up the cellar. She could see the dark shadows through the glass pane in the door and hoped it was the plumbers. At least there were two of them. She opened the door and was surprised to see two men who were nearing retirement age. She’d expected a couple of youngsters.
    ‘Hello, we’ve come about your blocked drains.’
    She opened the door wide enough for them to step inside. ‘Thank you so much; I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. Unfortunately the smell seems to be coming from down in the cellar.’
    ‘That’s all right, we’re used to working in the dark. What we’ll do is take a look and see if it’s something we can get sorted now. If it’s going to be a big job it will have to wait until next week, I’m afraid. We’re so busy this week.’
    Martha tried not to let the panic show. Next week was no good. No good at all. It needed sorting now. She sighed and turned, leading them to the cellar door.
    ‘By heck, what do you keep down there: lions? I’ve never seen so many locks on a door.’
    The men laughed at their joke and Martha smiled. She didn’t want to tell them it was something far more lethal than a big cat.
    ‘My father was very conscious about us playing down there in the dark. The sewer pipe reaches to the lake and it can flood very easily in the winter. He was such a cautious man. I’m afraid I can’t open the locks very fast with my fingers – arthritis.’
    She passed them an old, iron key ring and watched as the more talkative of the men began to try and unlock the padlocks. Finally he’d taken all the locks off and slid the bolts back. With the opening of each one Martha felt an impending sense of dread. Should she tell them about the thing down there or hope that it had died? Maybe that’s what the smell was. She prayed that it was. He pulled the door open and the stench was overwhelming. Both men groaned and began to take face masks from their pockets.
    ‘Smells like something’s died down there, love.’
    ‘It does indeed. Please be careful, won’t you. Don’t leave each other’s side. The light-pull