As they drove back to the station at two a.m., Martin"s spirits gradually began to lift. For all Ray"s intelligence and his long years of experience, a nutcase with a large van and like-minded assistants seemed unlikely. The idea fitted the known facts, but it seemed more like something from a horror film than anything which could happen in real life. But what was real? Reality for him had become stranger than anything he’d ever read or seen. Perhaps murderous madmen with big vans and equally crazed helpers would soon be the new normal...
All available staff worked through the night on the surveillance footage. After breakfast in the canteen, Ray and Martin drew up a list of fifteen potential vehicles. Five of them came from the same van hire firm, which narrowed the search a little. All
