‘What concerns me most is not what you’ve told me but what you haven’t told me. You spent time with this man. You understand how his mind worked. In fact, you fathomed just how dangerous he was way before the others, didn’t you? You figured it out, you rumbled him. Because of your affection for Mary, you wanted to protect her. Not even Jock sussed it, did he? Why did Daphne keep a picture of herself with Jock in her wallet?’

Fred wrung his hands and Kelly saw tears in his eyes.

‘You can’t save Mary now, but you could save someone else. These types of killers don’t stop, Fred. Our profiler has seen it a thousand times before, all over the world: they’re sick. They think what they’re doing is normal, justice even.’

Fred nodded.

‘We know Kirk Junker isn’t his real name. We had to pry that out of your group and I know there’s more not being shared. Tell me about him!’ She raised her voice again and Fred put his hands to his face and began to weep. Kelly looked at Will, who raised his brow. An officer came into the room and passed Kelly a note. Jock Harris was not at home, and his newspaper was still on his porch from yesterday.

Kelly felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

‘We all thought he was abusing his daughter,’ Fred said. His shoulders heaved after he’d got the burden off his chest.

‘Daphne?’

‘Yes.’

She thought about what The Teacher had said and recalled the notes from the Penrith and Lakes they’d found on the system. A girl was brought in and examined but disappeared shortly after with her mother. It had been just when The Teacher said, 2013. The same year of the High Rigg animal cruelty case. It gave her an idea. If this family was constantly on the move, then chances were they’d gone not just from campsite to campsite, but from county to county. She turned to DS Phillips.

‘Can you get someone to send out a notice to all forces across England and Wales for history of unsolved animal cruelty cases or child disappearances linked to the travelling community? Put out the photofit again, and the picture of the girl with Jock Harris in view.’

Appeals such as these were first handled locally. Appealing nationally cost money and it had to be justified. They’d received nothing back from Essex Police regarding Jock’s statement that Kirk had originated from there. Will left the room.