Jessica shook her head. ‘I mean, he had this knack for making people turn against him. That was the kind of man he was. He was – oh, I don’t know – opinionated and full of himself, and he never listened to anyone else. He just bulldozed his way through life without paying attention to what other people wanted…’ She broke off, perhaps afraid she had said too much. ‘He loved us, his family, and he would have done anything for us. It was just everyone else. And he had political enemies.’

‘Who were they?’

‘I don’t know. But there was stuff about him online, people complaining about his policies, and mum told me he was always being heckled at meetings. You’ll have to ask her. But good luck getting any sense out of her.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Just that she’ll be a mess right now. I ought to go and see her.’

‘We’re doing everything we can to investigate the circumstances of your father’s death –’ Geraldine began when Jessica interrupted her.

‘Never mind that. Where’s Daisy? What’s happening? What are you doing about her? She’s only six months old, for fuck’s sake, and she’s been missing for nearly a week! Someone’s taken her. Babies don’t just disappear. Someone must have her. We have to find her. Someone must be taking care of her. She can’t be… and where’s Jason? He’s taken her, hasn’t he?’

‘Do you believe Jason would take your daughter without telling you?’

Jessica shook her head. ‘I don’t know, I don’t know.’ She glared at Geraldine. ‘I mean, you think you know another person and then it turns out you didn’t know them at all. I don’t even know where he is.’

‘Did you and Jason have an argument? Could he have taken Daisy from you because he was angry with you? We need to know the truth, Jessica.’

‘No, no. He can’t have taken her away. He wouldn’t do that to me. He loves me.’

‘Jessica,’ Geraldine said quietly, ‘we’re doing everything we can to find your missing daughter. In the meantime, your father has been murdered, and your husband has disappeared. Are you ready to answer a few questions about Jason? I need you to be calm now. Was there any bad feeling between your husband and your father?’

For a moment Geraldine thought Jessica was going to break down in tears again. Instead, she braced her shoulders and looked at Geraldine directly but when she spoke, her voice shook so much she was barely coherent.