It started with a daughter visiting her father and ended with the death of an innocent mother, a Russian double agent in hiding and dozens of diplomats thrown out of the countries they called home.
On March 4, 2018, Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned with the deadly Novichok nerve agent, one of the deadliest chemical weapons ever made.
He had been a former general in Russia's miliatry intelligence but after he turned double agent, he was convicted in his mother country of spying for the UK.
The nerve gas attack, which was smeared on his front door, bore a chilling resemblence to the fatal poisoning of former Russian spuy, Alexander Litvinenko in 2006.
Yulia had flown to the UK from her native Moscow to visit her father, a ex Russian military officer who was now a double agent for the UK's intelligence services.
The following day they were both fighting for their lives in hospital.
Sergei and Yulia had spent the morning at his home in Salisbury before driving into town and heading to the Bishops Mill pub for a drink.
Father and daughter then enjoyed a lunch at Zizzi's restaurant and took a stroll in a nearby park.
They were found, unconscious, on a park bench and rushed to Salisbury District Hospital where medics battled to save the pair.
Yulia was discharged on April 9 and transported to a secure location while her father was allowed out of hospital on May 18.
A week after her father was discharged, a written not from Yulia was given to the press.
In it, she said she was lucky to be alive, but insisted her recovery would be slow and difficult.
Father and daughter were not the only ones to be seriously hurt by the deadly poison.
Det Sgt Nick Bailey was one of the officers to search Sergei's home. He was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
Thankfully, he was discharged by March 22 but admitted in a poignant statement that "normal life for me will probably never be the same".
Det Sgt Bailey, who was wearing a forensic suit when he examined Sergei's home, and his family lost everything in the aftermath of the attack.
His home and all their belongings had to be destroyed because of possible contamination.
Within days of the Skripals being taken ill, the government had pointed the finger of blame firmly at Russia.
Hundreds of experts and equipment was drafted into Salisbury for the clean-up operation and to determine how the Skripals had injested the poison.
It seemed it had been used at Sergei's home, with the front door smeared in Novichok.
By March 12, just eight days after the attack, the UK government were certain Russian agents were behind it.
Then Prime Minister Theresa May told the House of Commons: "It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia."
She gave Russia 24 hours to tell the world if the attack had been deliberate or if they had allowed the deadly chemical weapons to fall into the wrong hands.
May warned Russia "measures would follow" if there was no credible response.
A day later a far reaching probe was launched into the deaths of 14 Russian exiles and businessmen in the UK into the possibility Moscow had been involved.
By March 14, with no response from Russia, 23 Russian diplomats were expelled from the UK in what May described as "actions to dismantle the Russian espionage network in the UK".
She said these diplomats had been identified by the UK as "undeclared intelligence agents".
The US backed Britain's belief that Russia was behind the attack and placed sanctions on Russian banks and exports.
The EU also expressed unqualified solidarity with the UK and its support, including for the UK's efforts to bring those responsible for this crime to justice".
But Russia described the claims as "balderdash" and expelled 23 British diplomats from St Petersberg in retaliation.
But there was one more tragedy, an innocent life that would be claimed by the chilling events in Salisbury.
On June 30 Dawn Sturgess was at her home on Amesbury, Wiltshire - eight miles from Salisbury - when she suddenly collapsed.
She was taken to hospital and placed on life support. A few hours later, her boyfriend, Charlie Rowley, was also admitted to hospital with similar symptoms.
Medics realised they were experiencing Novichok poisoning.
Charlie had found a bottle of perfume while he was scavenging in a bin, something he regularly did to look for things to sell.
He gave it to Dawn, who sprayed the contents on her wrists, sealing her tragic fate.
Doctors switched off Dawn's life support on July 8 and she passed away in hospital.
Charlie regained consciousness two days later but is still experiencing harrowing symptoms.
Chillingly, the bottle of perfume contained enough Novichok to kill thousands of people.
In early September two Russian agents, Anatoily Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin, who went under the names Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, when they landed in the UK, were being charged in absentia.
Despite the CPS insistence there was enough evidence to charge the two men, it did not apply for them to be extradited from Russia.
Instead Interpol Red Notices and European Arrest warrants were issued.
A spokesman said: "A realistic prospect of conviction means the CPS is satisfied on an objective assessment that the evidence can be used in court and that an objective, impartial and reasonable jury hearing the case, properly directed and acting in accordance with the law, is more likely than not to convict these two individuals of the charges.
"It is of course for a jury to decide whether the evidence is enough for them to be sure of the suspects' guilt.
“We will not be applying to Russia for the extradition of these men as the Russian constitution does not permit extradition of its own nationals.
"Russia has made this clear following requests for extradition in other cases. Should this position change then an extradition request would be made.
“We have, however, obtained a European Arrest Warrant which means that if either man travels to a country where an EAW is valid, they will be arrested and face extradition on these charges for which there is no statute of limitations.”
The two men were in the UK for just 48 hours, landing at Heathrow, then travelling to Salisbury, then back to London, before returning to Salisbury to fly home.
President Vladmir Putin finally had his say, claiming the two men were ordinary citizens who had simply travelled to the UK to see the sights.
He insisted they had simply returned to Salisbury twice in 48 hours because bad weather had ruined their first trip.
In the two years that have followed two more Russian agents have emerged as suspects.
The leader of the specialist GRU unit has been unmasked as Major General Denis Sergeev, who is said to have been in the UK when Mr Skripal was poisoned.
And Egor Gordienko may have helped set up the bid to assassinate former Kremlin spy.
But even though the authorities are certain they know who was responsibile for the Novichok poisonings, they have admitted they will probably escape justice.
Sajid Javid admitted when he was Home Secretary that "the reality is we’ll probably never see them in the UK".
And Neil Basu, national head of counter terrorism, has previously said it was a "brutal truth" the police could now do little unless then men entered a country with an extradition treaty with the UK.
Putin’s government denies involvement and refuses to hand over the suspects.
However, unwitting victim Charlie Rowley, has appointed a legal team to sue the Russian state.
Mr Rowley said: “This has affected my life in a huge way. I want justice.”
His lawyer, Patrick Maguire, said: "Dawn and Charlie were both innocent victims caught in the crossfire of the Salisbury poisonings which rocked the whole community.
“Charlie continues to suffer serious side effects from the toxin he ingested, but says his greatest concern is uncovering the truth about what really happened.
“There are still so many unanswered questions and that is why he has instructed us, to help him get those answers. He feels he owes that to Dawn.”