I rub my temples. This is all such a mess.

‘I really don’t think I can give you access to my interview,’ I say. ‘But I can tell you that there is nothing in what he said to me during that official interview that would indicate he was a danger to himself or others. As for last night, he was agitated, yes. He was upset about the response to the article on social media. Worried it might draw attention to his location. But I really don’t think he would do anything to harm himself.’

Oh, God, but I really hope he didn’t do anything to harm himself.

‘Ingrid, I understand you must be very unsettled by this,’ DS King says, her tone conciliatory.

I can’t hold in a brittle laugh. ‘That’s a bit of an understatement,’ I say. The tissue I have been twisting around in my fingers is starting to dissolve. To my shame, I feel tears prick at my eyes.

‘You do know you can contact the police at any time if you feel under threat,’ DI Bradley says.

I nod. I can’t speak because I’m afraid that if I do, I simply won’t be able to stop the tears from falling.

‘If I can say something to you, though. No story in the world is worth this.’

Of course he would say that, I think, though his concern does look genuine. Then again, I seem to have lost the ability to read people properly just now.

I steady myself. Switch back into professional mode.

‘What will you be doing to find Jamesy?’ I ask.

‘We have officers looking for him at the moment. Checking bus routes and the train station. Needless to say, if he makes contact with you again, we’d like you to let us know immediately.’

I nod. ‘And Mr Doherty? How is he?’ I ask.

‘Medically, he’s ill but stable. Emotionally, he’s traumatised, as his whole family are.’

I nod.

‘Ingrid, we really would ask that you stay away from the Doherty family at this time. They have asked me to pass that message on to you – and to all the media, just so you don’t think it’s personal,’ DS King says. ‘They don’t want any more attention brought to last night’s events.

‘At this stage, they have no plans to make any further statement about what has happened and, look, you were there at the hospital. You saw how distressed they were. You heard how awful this is. I know that might make for big headlines, but it’s not serving anyone to splash their trauma all over the papers.’

‘It is my job to report on the news and this is news,’ I say, because that is the truth.