‘Mrs Fullworth,’ Jack interrupted. ‘When is Maisie back with you?’ Jack knew it was important for him to gain control of the conversation. So far, Mrs Fullworth had not stopped talking, in an endeavour to assert her authority, and although Jack could see it working with Oaks, it definitely wasn’t going to wash with him.

‘My daughter . . .’ Mrs Fullworth emphasised her words to indicate her ownership over Maisie. ‘My daughter has suffered with anorexia for much of her teenage life, but since the burglary, it’s got worse. She is currently with her aunt, my sister, Lisa, in Swindon. Lisa is an art therapist. Maisie’s going through a rough patch and it helps her to be away from here. Away from all of the traumatic memories.’ Jack asked again when Maisie was due to return, but was told that it would be open-ended. ‘Healing has its own timeframe.’

‘Unfortunately, Mrs Fullworth,’ Jack replied firmly, ‘we also have a timeframe. These burglars are working their way through your community, your friends. They’re making fools of us.’ Mrs Fullworth’s eyes narrowed and her knuckles turned white as she squeezed the handle of the broom. ‘They know you value your privacy as highly as your possessions, and so they force you to choose.’ Jack took a step towards her, getting closer than she was comfortable with, so he could see that she wasn’t arrogant at all. She was scared. Now he knew what to say. He promised to give her the one thing he knew she’d genuinely lost. ‘My intention is to take control away from them and give it back to you. Your daughter can return to her home, unafraid. Do you have a first name I could use, Mrs Fullworth?’

Within seconds of Mrs Fullworth blushing like a schoolgirl and announcing that her first name was Eloise – ‘you can call me Elli’ – she’d revealed the guilt she felt for having been at her weekly bridge game at the time of the burglary. She and several female friends met every Tuesday and on this particular night, Maisie had been home due to her school’s mid-term break. Elli had still gone out, because it was her one night off and she worked so hard the rest of the week. So Maisie had been left home alone, to be confronted by a man in her bedroom. Elli had almost cried at the thought of what could have happened to her little girl on that horrible, terrifying night. As a family, she was thankful they had got off very lightly.

Oaks couldn’t stop grinning as they walked back to the car. ‘Sirrr!’ he laughed in his West Country burr. ‘That was fucking awesome.’