‘Are you worried about Jock?’ she asked Fred. She could see in his eyes that he was. Her voice was gentler now and she felt wretched for shouting at the gentle man before her, but someone needed to wake him the hell up. She radioed the duty desk and registered a missing person alert for Jock Harris. ‘Go local with it now,’ she said. She detailed the request for the tape recorder.

‘Daphne was closer to Jock and Mary than anyone else.’

‘But they didn’t challenge her father? They allowed him to continue. Kirk is tidying up loose ends. We don’t know about Jock. Let’s hope he’s off fishing somewhere.’

‘He doesn’t fish.’

‘Fred, why do you think that Kirk is so angry? This rage that is necessary to do acts like this: where does it come from?’

‘He was a sadist. He filmed himself sacrificing wrens on a bonfire, this was way back in 2010. There’s a whole web of people who watch this stuff. That’s why we protect ourselves.’

‘But you said this was all before your time, did you see the video tape?’

‘Jock told me.’

‘Is that why you’re so secretive? To protect Jock? Don’t you realise that, at some point, someone has got to tell the truth, else all this stealth is dangerous?’

He nodded.

‘I understand, but there are lives at stake here. Possibly Jock’s. Is there anywhere you can think of that Kirk used to stay? Anywhere, Fred, we’re desperate. He needs to have a bolt hole somewhere. Daphne might still be OK.’

Fred looked up.

‘Yes. He boasted about a grand house left to his wife by an old relative.’

‘Harry O’Connor?’

‘Harry? Yes.’

‘And you didn’t think of telling us this before? You thought you might sit on the other information you have and we might just go away and leave you alone?’

Fred nodded.

‘Tell me everything, and I mean everything.’

‘Kirk was what we call a black spirit. He’s a Leo: a fire sign. He lusts after destroying things and people.’

‘And animals?’

Fred nodded.

‘Why didn’t anyone report him to the police?’

Fred laughed. It took over his tears and he couldn’t stop. Kelly felt a mixture of fury and shame because she knew exactly why people like Fred didn’t trust the police. She reddened and Fred gathered himself.

‘What would you have done?’ he raised his voice to her. ‘No one cares for abused children. No one cares for hurt animals. All anyone cares about is money and glamour, and the vile things that make us all ill. Society is sick! Every last one of us. We’re dying of greed, rage and lust.’