On the way to the hospital, Oaks got a phone call, which Jack answered as Oaks was driving. Jack put the phone on speaker and, before he could say anything, DC Ronnie Davidson’s voice piped up, ‘’Ere Will, I got a message for your new girlfriend. Elli called and said . . .’ At this point Davidson started to mimic Eloise Fullworth’s voice. ‘Oh, Jack, Jack from the Met, it’s Elli. Maisie’s home if you’d like to come and speak with her. And when you’re done with my daughter, maybe you and I can . . .’

Jack interrupted before Davidson said something that crossed the line between taking the piss and rank insubordination. ‘Thank you, DC Davidson. I’ll interview Maisie on the way back to the station. Oaks is going to the hospital with Mathew. And you, Davidson, when the rest of the team get the order to go to Barrowman’s house and search for a murder weapon, you’re going to stay there and finish the social events calendar.’

Davidson spluttered for a reply, as Jack continued. ‘I don’t have many rules, but not taking the piss out of the victim is definitely one of them. If you’d like to argue your case when I get back to the station, I’m happy for you to try.’ Jack ended the call and put Oaks’s mobile back into the money tray in between the front seats. He looked over to see Oaks’s face in a fixed grimace of embarrassment.

‘Tell you what, Oaks, come and interview Maisie with me. You won’t be allowed in the clinical areas whilst Mathew’s being examined anyway, and you were the officer who originally interviewed her, right? You’ll know if her story has changed in any way.’

*

Maisie was a beautiful, slender girl with an extraordinary amount of curly, jet black hair. She looked like she was making no effort at all with her appearance, right down to wearing a tracksuit that was far too big for her. Jack knew this look: Maisie was scruffy-by-design – setting the bar low so when someone told her how terrible she looked, she could just say, ‘Yeah, I know.’ In his time as a police officer, Jack had come across many women with self-image issues and, seeing as he already knew Maisie had struggled with anorexia in the past, her appearance was no surprise to him.

Mrs Fullworth, however, clearly found Maisie’s appearance embarrassing. ‘Maisie’s a little under the weather,’ she explained. ‘So, she’s having a tea-and-sympathy day in the house, aren’t you, darling? Not going out, so no need to make an effort.’ Maisie looked away and said nothing.

Jack ignored her mother’s words. ‘Maisie, could you show me your bedroom?’

Mrs Fullworth quickly cut in. ‘Maisie can’t go in that room anymore. So, I’ll come with you in case she gets upset.’