‘Against your husband. We have reason to suspect he violently assaulted you on more than one occasion. Jessica, I know you’re under a lot of pressure, but whatever happens, you don’t have to tolerate his aggression ever again. You shouldn’t have to put up with that level of abuse. No one should. If you want him charged with assault, we can support you when he comes back, and make sure he never hurts you again.’

Jessica shook her head. ‘No, no, I don’t want to see him or think about him again. I just want my baby back.’

‘Jessica, your husband attacked you –’

‘No, no, he didn’t. It was an accident. He never hurt me. That’s a lie. It’s a lie!’

Geraldine sighed. There was no reasoning with a woman who constantly altered her version of the truth, whatever that was.

‘Very well.’ Geraldine stood up. ‘But please think about what I said. Once your daughter returns to you, do you really want her living with a violent man?’

‘He’d never hurt Daisy,’ Jessica whispered, seemingly horrified by a suggestion that must have already occurred to her.

‘Jessica, you said you thought he was going to kill you. It happened more than once, didn’t it? You just told me he would have killed you if your neighbour hadn’t summoned the police to stop him.’

Jessica shook her head. ‘No,’ she whispered. ‘I didn’t mean it. It’s not true. She’s lying. I’m just angry with him, that’s all. How could he go and leave me like this? He’s my husband, and I don’t even know where he is.’

‘You said “he kills people”. What did you mean?’

‘Nothing, nothing, I didn’t mean anything. I was just upset. It was all a stupid mistake. Please go, go away and leave me alone.’

‘Jessica, we need to know where Jason is.’

‘I don’t know, I don’t know. And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you,’ she added in a sudden burst of anger.

Ignoring Jessica’s loud protests, Geraldine checked the house but there was no sign of Jason in any of the rooms. There was nothing more she could do. Back at the police station, she discussed Jessica’s erratic responses with Eileen.

‘A typical domestic,’ the detective chief inspector said with a sigh. ‘The wife too scared, or too besotted, to press charges. If he contacts her, she’ll probably warn him we’ll be filing a report with all the details. There’s already a history of his violence against his wife. Men like that think they can do what the hell they like behind closed doors. Of course, he’ll deny having raised his hand against her. They always do.’

‘Yes, and she’ll probably continue to back him up, even though she’d be insane to protect him.’