‘The child specialists have had a couple of meetings with him, and no surprises, he’s not good,’ says Naylor. ‘The feedback from them is that, except for when he was first found and a short phone call with his mum, he hasn’t said a single word, not even to his parents. They’re calling it elective mutism. Not that uncommon following major trauma like he’s been through.’

‘Even so,’ says Campbell. ‘If you could persuade him to go through a few known offenders, that would help. What about the car? Surely there must be something from that?’

‘Not as much as we hoped,’ says Hagen. ‘Reported stolen in the intervening. Lots of prints but no matches to anyone we know. They’re checking what CCTV we’ve got and ANPR, but don’t hold your breath.’

‘So what do you think, Rachel?’ asks Campbell. ‘Do you think you can get the boy to have a look?’

‘If he isn’t talking, what’s the point in putting him through that? Going through the rogues’ galleries at this stage will only cause the poor kid more pain.’

‘He’s been gone a while, though,’ says Hagen in his Geordie lilt. ‘No saying who he might have bumped into on his travels, and we need that information. We’ve got to be proactive. It’s a one hundred percent certainty they’ll be on the lookout for another victim to take Evan’s place.’

There’s a short silence amongst them as they consider the implications of Hagen’s words.

‘OK,’ says Naylor. ‘I’ll do my best.’

‘Great stuff,’ says Campbell. As he stands up, he looks over her shoulder. ‘Where’s Rose? Rose, there you are. Can I have a word?’

Campbell does a good job at the press conference. Presenting himself well is what he excels at, and he speaks with his usual authority, addressing the crowd of journalists with a suitably grave face, avoiding the stilted police-speak so many officers fall into when faced with microphones and cameras. Today two new photofit pictures are on screens behind him, images of a pair of unattractive, unremarkable men, put together from witness statements from the Ferrybridge filling station. Campbell’s shirt, Naylor notices, has all its buttons in place. At the table beside him, Hagen looks hot and uncomfortable, eyes down on the notes in front of him as the cameras flash and whirr. In the front row, Naylor recognises a well-known woman presenter from ITV news, who looks older in the flesh and disturbingly thin.

The questions, when Campbell asks for them, are largely predictable.

‘Chief Inspector, in the light of this development, were you too hasty before in shutting down your investigation into Evan’s abduction?’

Campbell appears to consider.