Jamie twiddles his fingers in the blanket and puts his thumb in his mouth, something he’s not done for over three years.

‘Would he really take him without telling me?’ Alison turns to Julie.

‘Perhaps he thought you wouldn’t let him see Charlie?’

‘Why would he think that?’

‘He’s probably trying to give you a fright,’ says Julie. ‘Give him a few dirty nappies and sleepless nights and he’ll soon be back.’

The inspector flicks over a page in her notebook. ‘And do you have any idea where Adam is?’

‘None.’

‘Does he go away often?’

‘His job takes him all over; he’s a builder and decorator, but he’s never been gone this long before without saying something. I assume he’s left me.’

‘I see.’ She scoops three teaspoons of sugar into her tea. ‘Why would you assume that?’

‘He did it before, when I was pregnant with Jamie, although that wasn’t entirely his fault.’

The inspector writes something down.

‘So, you think it’s Adam?’ Julie asks.

‘Seems the likeliest explanation at the moment,’ the inspector says.

‘Lately, he’s been in the house when I’ve been out.’ Alison sits up and turns to Julie for support. ‘He’s picked up his clothes and opened his post, for God’s sake.’

‘Has he now? Have you spoken to him?’

‘No. He makes sure I’m never here.’

‘Can you think of anyone else?’ the inspector asks.

Alison shakes her head.

‘Hang on. There is someone. It’s probably nothing, but there was this woman at the hospital.’

‘Someone you know?’ says the inspector.

‘I think she may have been in the Red Cross shop where I work, but then I see lots of people. Lots of faces are familiar.’

‘Tell us about her.’

‘She was standing by my bed holding Charlie while I was asleep.’

‘Is she a nurse?’

Alison shakes her head.

The inspector leans forward.

‘The curtains were drawn around the bed. When I woke up, she was standing there, holding him, face close to his like she was talking to him. She said he’d been crying and she tried to comfort him. I was upset. It seemed strange, like she was reluctant to give him to me. You’d think she would have woken me straight away rather than pick up someone else’s baby like that. Anyway, she could see I wasn’t happy so she put him back, made her apologies and left.’

‘You didn’t tell me this,’ Julie says.

‘I just thought of it.’

‘Did you report it?’ The inspector is scribbling in her notebook again.

‘She wasn’t doing any harm. I thought she must have been visiting someone and heard Charlie crying. I didn’t want to make a fuss.’

‘What did she look like?’

‘Medium height, a bit overweight, but well dressed, late thirties, browny reddish coloured hair.’