Maggie could see they were heading down a conversational cul-de-sac. As much as she wanted the police to think so, Tess didn’t know what went on inside the Hepworths’ house and her comments were guesswork.

‘I think that’s all the questions I have for now,’ Maggie said. ‘You’ve been really helpful. If anything else occurs to you please give me a call.’

She recited her direct phone line for Tess to take down, then hung up as Byford appeared in the doorway looking pissed off.

‘I’ve been waiting downstairs for ages.’

‘Sorry, I had to make a call, and now I’ve got to check something else with Burton – can you give me another minute?’

With a sigh, Byford threw himself into the chair at his desk.

‘What do you need to check?’

‘He was meant to be speaking to social services to see if the Hepworths are known to them.’ She quickly told him what Tess had said about Julia being depressed and how she suggested she might be aggressive.

‘Why does it matter if she was?’ asked Byford.

‘It’s a known fact that children raised in violent households are more likely to commit acts of violence themselves,’ said Maggie. ‘If there’s a pattern of behaviour that might’ve influenced Poppy we need to know about it.’

‘So you do want her to be guilty,’ said Byford.

Maggie bristled. ‘I want to be satisfied I’ve done my job by looking at every possibility. You should try it.’ Irritated by what he’d said, she decided to change the subject. ‘By the way, Omana dropped a document off for you last night. It’s in your in-tray.’

‘Thanks.’

Byford leaned over, picked up the envelope and ripped it open. Whatever was detailed on the document triggered him to raise his eyebrows, then he slid the paper back inside.

‘Anything important?’ asked Maggie.

‘Nope.’

Byford unlocked his bottom desk drawer to toss the envelope inside. The drawer was one of those deep ones that could accommodate hanging files but there was nothing in it except two notebooks: one A5 size and patterned with footballs, the other slim and covered in flowers.

‘Footballs and flowers?’ Maggie queried with a smile.

Byford shrugged. ‘That’s me, a mass of contradictions.’

With a bang he slid the drawer shut, then locked it.

40

Alan was taking a break in his usual spot, at a picnic table adjacent to the playing field. Normally it would be assembly at this time and he’d either be lurking at the back of the hall or using the minutes to complete a repair in one of the classrooms while they were empty. But with the school still closed to pupils there seemed little point sticking to routine. No one was going to berate him today for having an early, unscheduled tea break.