Oaks stared at Justin, open-mouthed. The kid had said he hadn’t seen much and then narrowed the perp’s footwear down to a specific design of trainer. Justin grinned, knowing he’d done well. ‘I sell collectable trainers online, see. The R2 isn’t collectable yet, it’s too new, but it will be.’ Oaks double-checked that Justin was certain about what he’d seen. ‘The security light went on when the bike pulled into the yard. Definitely Adidas NMDs.’ Oaks shook the lad’s hand and wished him all the luck in the world in his endeavours to be a jockey.

*

Ridley called while Jack waited in the kitchen for Sally Barrowman. Jack opted to call him back after he’d spoken to Mathew. There’d hopefully be more to say then. Mrs Thorburn, the housekeeper, put a plate of biscuits and a pot of tea down in front of Jack and then began unloading the dishwasher. She clearly wasn’t in a good mood and when Jack asked what was wrong, she said she’d been given a verbal warning by Mr Barrowman for keeping Mathew’s contraband takeaways a secret for all these years. After giving her statement, she’d had to admit to finding takeaway containers in the bin on numerous occasions. She wasn’t bothered about the warning itself, though; she was more worried about having to tell tales on Mathew from now on, knowing it would damage their relationship, possibly beyond repair.

When Sally Barrowman joined them, Mrs Thorburn kept her head down and neither woman acknowledged the other. ‘Mathew’s ready.’ Jack could hear the unease in Sally’s voice.

‘Mrs Barrowman, I won’t do anything to knowingly upset Mathew. But we can’t lose sight of the fact that your son is the only person to have had any direct contact with the—’

‘Contact?’ she almost yelled. ‘Is that what you’re calling it? He was assaulted. He’s traumatised. He’s tremendously vulnerable, and the second I think he’s had enough of you, you will leave his bedroom. If you can’t promise me that right now, DS Warr, then you can get out of my house!’

The gentle, subservient housewife had gone, to be replaced with a ferociously protective mother. Jack wondered if perhaps George Barrowman was not the head of this household after all.