The Present: The must-read Christmas Crime of the year!

‘Are you sure?’

‘Of course I’m sure!’ Anna snapped. ‘I’ll tell you what I did. I put the box carefully on the floor and called the police. And then I sat and waited with the front door locked until they arrived.’

‘I see,’ Townsend muttered, leafing idly through his papers again. ‘Well, Ms Vaughan, it only remains for me to ask you if you have any further information you wish to add.’

‘I … I can’t think of anything.’

‘You have no suspicions about who may have sent this box to you?’

‘No names spring to mind.’

Jim narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, then said: ‘Very well. Do you think any more relevant names might “spring to mind” at a later date?’

‘I doubt it, Detective Inspector.’

‘But you yourself told me you’ve made enemies in the past. That suggests to me that you might at the very least have some idea who could possibly have sent you this box.’

‘I’ve upset certain MPs and local councillors,’ Anna said. ‘I upset the Home Office once, and I wrote something that nearly got us sued by a pharmaceutical manufacturer. And, of course, I’ve ruffled a few feathers in your line of work, Detective Inspector. But I don’t see any of these people leaving me a box of blood and God knows what on my doorstep at one in the morning.’

‘I’m not in a position to say one way or the other, Ms Vaughan. This job has taught me that anything’s possible, that the most unlikely people are capable of the most uncivilised acts. Nothing’s off-limits, not when it comes to human behaviour.’

‘Well, that’s one thing we can both agree on,’ Anna conceded. ‘So – what happens now?’

‘You’re free to go,’ Townsend said, gathering up his things and no longer making eye contact with her.

‘I know I’m free to go, Detective Inspector, I was always free to go. I was asking about what you are going to do about what happened to me?’

‘We shall pursue an investigation as per standard procedures – by the book – just the way you like it, Ms Vaughan. By the book. That’s all I can say. Please go through to the waiting area – a police constable will see about getting you home to your flat.’

‘Excuse me, I feel like you’re giving me the brush-off,’ Anna said.

‘I can’t help how you feel,’ said Townsend, getting to his feet and heading for the door without so much as a glance in her direction. ‘We’ll be in touch if we have anything to report. Good night, Ms Vaughan.’

But as he opened the door to leave, Anna jumped up and strode over to him, blocking his way. Now, at last, he was forced to make eye contact with her. The two of them stared at each other, very close, almost nose to nose.

‘I don’t want you dealing with my case,’ Anna said flatly.

‘It’s not your decision,’ Townsend replied.

‘I’m making it my decision. I don’t have faith in your competency, Detective Inspector.’

‘You’ll have to take the issue up with my Chief Inspector.’

‘I don’t think you’re good at your job. You’ve certainly screwed things up with your investigation into the Steiners.’

‘Get out of my way, Ms Vaughan.’

‘Not until you tell me the name of the officer you’re passing my case on to.’

‘I said, get out of my way, Ms Vaughan. I don’t have time for this nonsense, I’m a very busy man.’

‘I’ll tell you again, you’re incompetent. And worse than that, you’re prejudiced. Against me.’

‘I’m becoming increasingly tired of dealing with you, Ms Vaughan.’

‘You know what? I don’t care. I don’t care if you handle my case or not, it doesn’t matter a damn, not compared to what’s happened to Ben and Sharon Steiner. Forget me, go out there and find her, Detective Inspector Townsend, find Sharon Steiner. Do your bloody job. More than that – show some humanity. Get your damned investigation sorted out, get your team into shape, and find Sharon Steiner while there’s still anything left of her to find!’

Townsend stared at her, his face expressionless except for the flexing of his jaw muscles. Then, in a very low voice, he said: ‘Accompany me to my office, Ms Vaughan.’

‘Accompany you to your office!’ Anna snorted. ‘What the hell are you, the head-bloody-master?!’

He pushed past her and stormed along a corridor, reaching the door to his office and flinging it open with a resounding bang.

‘In!’ he ordered.

‘This isn’t a police state yet, you know.’

‘In!’

‘Another time, Detective Inspector. I’m busy too. I have to get home and write an article … about you, and how you’ve behaved here tonight. Who knows, it might just finish your career. It certainly won’t do your promotion prospects any favours.’

‘In!’

‘I’ll make my own way home,’ Anna said, and with that she turned on her heel to walk away.

‘Ms Vaughan,’ Townsend called after her. ‘One last thing before you go.’

Anna stopped, sighed heavily, and waited.

‘Well?’

‘I just wanted to say … well done.’

Nonplussed, Anna turned round and looked back along the corridor at Detective Inspector Townsend. But now she saw that Townsend’s whole demeanour had changed. He was smiling. His eyes were smiling, all the iciness and aggression melted away from them.

‘I mean it, Ms Vaughan,’ he said, and there was warmth in his voice, there was humanity. ‘It’s one thing to stand up to the police at a press conference surrounded by fellow reporters – but it takes real guts to do it alone, without backup, in the depths of a police station at two in the morning. So – well done. And please accept my apologies. I would rather not have had to put you through such rough treatment just now. Rest assured that I would never have subjected you to any of it without good reason. A damn good reason.’

‘Good reason? I … I don’t understand what you’re talking about.’

‘The Steiner case. You have no idea what’s really happening with it, Ms Vaughan. No idea at all. And given what’s happened to you tonight, with that so-called present turning up on your doorstep, it looks like you’re far, far more involved with that case than you can imagine.’

‘I … I …’

Townsend held out his hand to her, a genuine gesture.

‘Please, come through to my office and I’ll explain everything,’ he said. ‘It’s important, Ms Vaughan – not just to the Steiner case, but to you, personally. I need to speak to you. Your life might very well depend on it.’

Anna stepped warily into Townsend’s office. She still didn’t trust him. Even less did she understand what the hell was going on with him.