‘How about a younger man called Rod Browning?’ Geraldine asked. ‘He’s about your age, and he has ginger hair and a ginger moustache and beard, and he works in a health food shop in York?’

Jessica shook her head again. ‘I don’t know these people,’ she whispered. Her voice hardened as she asked, ‘Have they got Daisy?’

Understandably she was only concerned about her missing child, although Geraldine did think she might have been interested in finding out who had killed her father and her husband.

‘It’s not that I don’t care that Jason’s dead,’ Jessica said, perhaps realising what Geraldine was thinking. ‘But he’s gone, isn’t he? There’s no point in getting upset, not yet. We have to focus all our attention on finding Daisy.’

‘There is a massive search underway,’ Geraldine assured her. ‘We are going to find her. But my job is working on the murder investigation. That’s important too. Whoever killed your father is still at large and could be a danger to others, as could the person who killed your husband.’

But it was clear that Jessica was barely listening to her. As Geraldine was preparing to leave, they heard the front door close and a woman’s voice shouting, ‘It’s me.’

The door to the living room opened and Anne came in. Her expression changed to one of alarm when she saw Geraldine.

‘What–?’ she asked. ‘What are you doing here? Is it – have you found her?’

‘I‘m afraid we’ve found your son-in-law’s body,’ Geraldine replied quietly. ‘Jason’s dead.’

‘Jason’s dead?’ Anne repeated in surprise.

‘And she’s on at me about dad,’ Jessica said through her sobs.

Anne heaved an exaggerated sigh. ‘We’ve told you everything we know,’ she said, her voice raised in anger. ‘All we’re interested in now is getting our baby back. As for that good-for-nothing husband of hers, we’ll grieve for him as much as he deserves when we have Daisy back.’ She pressed her lips together in an attempt to control herself, but tears filled her eyes. ‘Please, just find Daisy,’ she pleaded.

‘I’d like to ask you a few questions before I go,’ Geraldine replied, resuming her seat. ‘Perhaps we could talk alone?’ she added, glancing at Jessica who was sniffling into a handkerchief.

‘I’ll go and put the kettle on, mum.’

Anne looked as though she was going to remonstrate when Jessica stood up, but she thought better of it and sat down.