He was Stephanie Brady’s landlord.

“No, thank you for taking the time to meet with us. I understand this can’t be easy.”

Mr. Mayweather opened the door to Stephanie’s apartment. “She was a lovely girl. A perfect tenant. No problems whatsoever. Please, take your time, officers,” he said, ushering the pair into the flat.

It was of reasonable size. The main area was a lounge-kitchen hybrid with a hallway leading to bedrooms and the bathroom.

The first thing the detectives noticed were the lounge’s lavish furnishings. A 60-inch flat-screen TV dominated the far end of the room, which contained crisp white leather furniture. Between the furniture and the TV, an exquisite white-gloss table with crystal ornaments sparkled in the spring sun. Two French doors opened to a balcony with a view of the surrounding London suburbs.

“Let me guess, she paid you 12 months upfront?” Cael asked Mayweather.

The landlord hesitated for a moment.

“Don’t worry. We’re not here to probe your finances. We just need to know your arrangement.”

“Yes,” Mayweather finally said. “Twelve months in advance. Why did you assume that was the case?”

“According to her records, she has no official employment,” offered Tyler. “That means she’s not paying you direct debit.”

“What she does for a living isn’t my business,” said Mayweather. “As long as she pays, I’m okay with it.”

“We totally understand. Do you have any idea what she did do for a living?” asked Cael. He moved his way into the closet in Stephanie Brady’s hallway.

“None at all. To be honest, I assumed she had wealthy parents. A lot of these youngsters do. They just like to give the impression they’ve earned it.”

“No,” said Cael. “That’s not it.”

“Why not?”

“If she had wealthy parents, they’d transfer the money to her bank account. Even if they did give her the money cash-in-hand, we’d see huge deposits taken out of her parents’ accounts.”

“Maybe she had a job that paid her in cash?”

“What kind of job pays enough money in cash to afford this apartment as well as these furnishings?”

“A few ideas come to mind,” said Tyler.

“Drugs, gambling, prostitution. The big three,” said Cael.

“Exactly.

In her bedroom wardrobe, Cael uncovered multiple outfits that left little to the imagination. He picked up one by the coat hanger. It was a short green dress with a slit down one side. Alongside her clothes was a box of S&M-style collars.

“And I think I know the one I’m leaning toward,” said Cael.

From Stephanie’s second bedroom, Tyler called out to Cael. “Goddamn. Come and have a look at this,” he shouted.

Both Cael and Mayweather approached the second room.