‘If they were still about, I’m sure somebody would have seen them. He was quite distinctive, as I was explaining to this gentleman.’

Kelly looked at the artist’s pad and agreed that, with his dark features and almost black eyes, the man depicted on the page, not yet even fully drawn, was strikingly unconventional.

‘Did Kirk ever talk about ritualistic torture or killing?’

‘I beg your pardon? Look, that journalist has given us a bad name. You offend us with your ignorant questions.’ Fred tightened his arm around Sandra, who stared at the floor.

‘She said that Mary took time to die,’ Sandra whispered just in earshot of the artist, who stared at Kelly. Fred looked at her, and the colour drained from his face.

‘It’s a line of inquiry,’ Kelly said. ‘Her animals were also tortured, they weren’t just burned.’ She had to hit them hard and make them think about complying with full transparency.

Fred bowed his head. ‘Kirk was a potential sadist, that’s all I can tell you. I have no idea if he actually was interested in the dark side of the faith. Like any path: there are always two directions.’

‘Indeed. Did he show signs of dominance or violence towards his daughter?’

‘The girl was always terrified,’ Sandra said. Fred shot her a sharp look.

‘So why were they invited to stay here occasionally?’

‘What?’

‘The testimony of Annie Spencer.’

‘It was once,’ Fred spoke in a whisper. The air in the room was thin suddenly, and nobody else spoke. The artist shifted uncomfortably.

‘He made Sandra feel… tense.’

‘Could you describe her, Daphne?’

‘She was a child when we last saw her. She was very pretty. Blonde hair. He never allowed her to cut it. She also had the most striking bright blue eyes.’

Kelly felt her eyes linger on Sandra for long enough to make the woman look away. Angry, she brought up the image of Carla Rigg released by police to the media.

‘Is this her?’

Fred and Sandra clasped their hands tighter and Sandra nodded. Fred sighed and rubbed his eyes.

‘You’re now going to tell me that you don’t watch the news and you haven’t seen the police appeal for her?’

Sandra’s eyes widened and she looked at her husband, who looked guilty as hell. Now it was Sandra’s turn to be angry. Kelly pointed at Fred’s face.

‘Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be requesting you visit Eden House in Penrith to be interviewed formally, you might want to contact a lawyer. I’ll see myself out after I’ve spoken to your guests.’ She went to the door but stopped.

‘Actually, Fred, I’d like you to show me something downstairs. I’m sorry, you’ll have to wait a little longer,’ she said to the artist. In the short minutes he’d known Kelly Porter, the artist knew better than to argue.