Licking her lips nervously, she returned Geraldine’s level gaze with a hostile glare. Geraldine held out a blown-up photograph of Jessica and Ella sitting together. The images had been enhanced and both faces were very clear.

Jessica nodded. ‘Oh yes, Ella,’ she whispered. ‘I remember her now. We met at the church.’

‘Why did you just tell me you didn’t know her?’ Geraldine asked.

‘I forgot,’ Jessica answered. ‘I mean, I remember her, but I didn’t know she was called Ella. She must have told me her name, but I forgot. I scarcely knew her. I only met her…’ she hesitated. ‘I only met her a couple of times. It was at a mother and baby group in a church,’ she added by way of explanation. ‘We were sitting next to each other and our babies were about the same age, so we talked a bit. But not much. I don’t really know her.’

After listening carefully, Geraldine asked Jessica whether she knew where Ella lived.

Jessica shook her head.

‘We weren’t close. We weren’t what you might call friends. I just happened to bump into her at the group and we started chatting about our babies, as you do. That’s all there was to it. I haven’t seen her for months. We didn’t fall out or anything, but I stopped going to the group. It wasn’t for me. I don’t know if she kept on going. We never kept in touch. I only saw her there twice, I think, and we only spoke to each other once.’

‘You didn’t hear from her again?’ Geraldine asked.

Jessica shook her head and began to cry.

Anne stepped in. ‘What is all this about, Sergeant? What’s this woman Ella got to do with us? All we’re interested in is finding Daisy.’

‘We all want to find Daisy,’ Geraldine replied softly.

‘Yes, well, Jessica’s answered your questions, and told you she hardly knew the woman you’re asking about. So can we please focus on what matters. You can see how upset my daughter is. So never mind anything else, what are you doing to find my granddaughter?’

She gave an anxious glance at Jessica who was crying hysterically.

‘I’m sorry, but we don’t yet know where Daisy is,’ Geraldine said. ‘But any friend or acquaintance of Jessica’s may possibly be able to help us. We need to question them all.’

‘She was never my friend,’ Jessica mumbled through her hands. ‘I hardly knew her. Where’s my baby?’ Her voice rose to a wail. ‘I want my baby. I want my baby back!’

‘Where is she?’ Anne shouted, rising to her feet and seeming to lose her temper. ‘Where’s Daisy? We need her back. If you know where she is, you have to bring her back to us right now. Or I’ll go and get her myself. Where is she?’