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me?’
    â€˜I’m telling you to keep you in the loop. She seems to have had some kind of premonition outside her front door when she arrived home not long after dark. She was foundin a distressed state on Vauxhall Bridge Road. Officers have examined her home but have found nothing out of the ordinary. She can’t be persuaded to return.’
    â€˜She didn’t look the nervous type on that tightrope. She did it without a harness or a safety net.’
    â€˜Have you heard of a play called Miss Julie? There was a televised version you’d be too young to remember. Janet Suzman, I think; maybe Glenda Jackson.’
    â€˜It was Helen Mirren. Donal McCann played the valet, unless you’re referring to the version with Janet McTeer?’
    â€˜Stop showing off, Jacob. All you’re telling me is that you don’t get out enough.’
    â€˜Sorry.’
    â€˜Julie Longmuir was preparing to play the title role in Strindberg’s play when she was murdered. The play was written in 1888.’
    â€˜Theologically, it’s an insignificant year. The Seventh Day Adventists held their Minneapolis General Conference. I’ll check for sure, but I very much doubt the subject of the End of Days came up for discussion.’
    â€˜Charlotte Reynard was planning a comeback. She’d chosen a fairly esoteric vehicle for doing so. I get the impression she wanted to regain lost credibility, re-establish her credentials. Ballet audiences aren’t as militant as opera lovers, but they can still be a bit sniffy.’
    â€˜Go on.’
    â€˜She chose a Russian ballet entitled The Vestal, choreographed by Petipa, with music by Ivanov. She was to play the role of Amata.’
    â€˜And The Vestal premiered in 1888.’
    â€˜You’re learning.’
    â€˜No, I’m not. I’m completely in the dark.’
    â€˜It’s the year of the Whitechapel Murders.’
    â€˜He doesn’t think he’s Jack the Ripper, Jane. He thinks he’s someone far older and more important than that.’
    â€˜A belief the Whitechapel killer might have shared?’
    There was silence on the end of the line. It went on for so long that Jane began to think the connection broken.
    â€˜Jacob?’
    â€˜I’m thinking about what he said in the last message. He said that the next killing would be a cause of grief. No doubt Charlotte Reynard was a world-class ballerina in her day, but what she’s mostly famous for is raising money for children’s charities. She’s amassed millions for good causes, hasn’t she? She’s practically a what-do-you-call-it?’
    â€˜She’s practically a national treasure. That thought’s occurred to us, too. I think that she had a very lucky escape tonight and has her intuition to thank for it.’
    â€˜Blimey.’
    â€˜You said you were going to subject the messages to proper scrutiny. Have you done that yet?’
    â€˜I’m doing it now. But he’s offering you clues beyond the messages, isn’t he? There’s a causal link between Julie Longmuir and Charlotte Reynard, isn’t there? It isn’t just that they’re not prostitutes or that they have high public profiles. He’s telling you something.’
    â€˜He’s goading us, or trying to, because tonight, it seems he failed to accomplish what he’d boasted he’d do.’
    â€˜Does that give you any satisfaction?’
    â€˜None, frankly, Jacob, it just makes me more fearful about what he might do next.’
    â€˜You used the past tense just now, talking about Charlotte Reynard’s comeback. Has she had a change of heart?’
    â€˜She’s damaged her ankle. I don’t think she’ll be doing any dancing for a few weeks.’
    â€˜Have you spoken to her?’
    â€˜I’m about to. She’s here in an interview room. Can you do something for me?’
    â€˜You mean as a reward for keeping me in the