Oaks’s eyes lifted and looked over Jack’s shoulder. Jack turned to see Nathaniel standing behind him with a look of simmering anger on his face. He held out his mobile phone and Jack saw a photo of Mathew, shirtless, towel round his waist, hand in the stream of shower water, as though checking the temperature. On his back, he had four dark, deep-red bruises, each one was eight to ten inches long.

‘They weren’t there yesterday,’ Nathaniel said. ‘He showers every night, so I know they weren’t. And, before you ask, Mr and Mrs Barrowman have never laid a finger on him. Nor have I.’

Jack and Oaks looked intensely worried. Was this why Mathew raced into the road screaming? Was he brutally attacked by the burglars? ‘I need to speak to him,’ Jack said.

Nathaniel held Jack’s stare.

‘No. Matty will be able to recall the events of last night, for forever and a day, so you don’t need to worry about that. But right now I’m going to break this news to his parents and then get him to hospital. Come back tomorrow.’

Jack was about to protest when Nathaniel went on. ‘I’ve been Matty’s carer for seven years. We’re mates after all that time and he trusts me to look after him. I get that you’ve got a job to do, but so have I. Believe me, you get one chance with him, DS Warr. If he decides not to like you, you’re screwed. I want him to talk to you and give you everything you need to catch the bastards who hurt him. That’s why I’m saying you have to wait.’

Nathaniel didn’t give Jack the opportunity to reply. He took his mobile back and headed upstairs.

Jack turned to Oaks. ‘Get everyone down here. Tell them we’re looking for a weapon that matches the length and width of those bruises on Mathew’s back. A baseball bat, maybe? Garden rake or spade? Go with him to the hospital in case he says anything. I trust Nathaniel, but if Mathew opens up, you need to hear it.’

As Jack thought about the violence Mathew must have experienced at the hands of strangers, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes darkened. Oaks recoiled, ever so slightly, as he saw something in Jack that had not shown itself before. Oaks thought that if the burglars walked into the room at that moment, they would not leave alive.

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9