He checked his watch and wrote some details at the top of a pre-printed form. Careful, neat handwriting, talking as he wrote.

‘As you’re aware, Mr Lynch, I’ve already spoken to Elizabeth Delaney and to your wife about this matter. Mrs Delaney reported her husband missing yesterday and obviously she’s keen to establish his whereabouts, or at least to confirm that he’s safe and well. Can you tell me about the last time you saw him?’

I told him what I could remember about Thursday evening, just the way we had described it to Beth. Mel was right: it felt good to get it all out in the open, like setting a heavy weight down at the end of a journey. The young policeman took notes throughout.

‘And that was the last time you saw Mr Delaney?’

‘Yes.’

From a file, he produced an identical form with my wife’s name at the top.

‘Let me make sure I’ve got these timings right, Joe. Can I call you Joe? Your wife said that she might have been one of the last people to see Mr Delaney on Thursday evening, at around 5 p.m.’

Despite what she had told me this afternoon about her drunken kiss with Ben – or maybe, weirdly, because of it – the instinct to protect my family, my team, was stronger than ever. Ben had taken advantage of her when she was drunk and on her own, he’d caught her in a weak moment, and even though I knew some of the blame lay with her, I couldn’t be angry at her. If I hadn’t been too naive to spot his intentions, if I’d put a shot across his bows sooner, maybe he wouldn’t have taken advantage of her. And she wouldn’t have been left to fend him off all by herself.

In that respect, it was I who had failed her. I wouldn’t fail her again. What had happened in that car park was on me – it was mine to deal with.

‘She wasn’t the last to see him,’ I said to the young policeman.‘I saw Ben after that, when she’d already driven off. I was the last person to see him in the car park.’

‘After your wife had gone?’

‘Yes.’

‘Do you remember any other drivers arriving or leaving at that time? Anyone else around who might have seen Mr Delaney after you?’

‘There was a black Range Rover, I think, just arriving as I was about to leave.’

‘Remember any part of the registration?’

‘No, sorry. Can’t you check CCTV or something?’

‘We may do that further down the line if Mr Delaney doesn’t turn up safe and sound. For now, though, based on the information I’ve been given today, it appears you were the last person to actually set eyes on him before he went missing.’

‘I think Beth Delaney saw him later that night.’

He consulted another form from the file.

‘No, she said she heard him at their house, but was too frightened to go downstairs.’