Kesey drummed two fingers of her left hand on the tabletop. ‘Where’s your daughter?’

He opened his eyes wide. ‘What?’

‘Just answer the question.’

Dale raised himself in his seat. He appeared more animated now, Adam’s apple bobbing as he made a strange noise in his throat. ‘Why the fuck would you ask me about Lottie?’

‘Where is she? That’s all I need to know.’

A look of genuine concern dominated Dale’s features. ‘I’m assuming she’s with her mother, or maybe her grandmother. Unless you’re telling me something different.’

‘You were outside your ex-wife’s house in the early hours of this morning.’

‘What’s your point? I haven’t denied it.’

‘You confirm you were there?’

‘Yeah, I was there. I said so, didn’t I? But what the fuck’s that got to do with Lottie?’

Kesey moved to the very edge of her seat. ‘You hammered on the front door; you repeatedly demanded to see your daughter. That’s true, isn’t it? Isn’t that what happened?’

‘Yeah, but so fucking what? Megan refused to let me in. She told me to sod off home. She’s like that sometimes, unreasonable.’

Kesey softened her tone. ‘Ah, okay, now we’re getting somewhere. Unreasonable how?’

‘I’m a good father, a loving father, but it seems the miserable cow can’t see it. She thinks she’s better than me with her posh job and paper qualifications, that’s the problem.’

‘How does that make you feel?’

Dale cleared his throat. ‘We were close before she got a degree, soulmates. It was all downhill from there. A simple plumber isn’t good enough for her any more. No doubt she wants some stuck-up tosser with a load of money in the bank. A walking fucking suit and briefcase.’

Kesey glared at her suspect, studying his body language, trying to read his thoughts. It was time to up the pressure. ‘But Megan qualified years ago. Your separation was far more recent. You’re making no sense at all.’

‘It’s my life. What the fuck do you know? The problems began when she left university. Nothing was the same after that.’

‘Are you telling me she doesn’t think you’re good enough?’

‘Of course I fucking well am.’

‘Does that make you angry, Dale? Is that what happened? Did you hurt Lottie in an uncontrollable rage? Did you lose control?’

He shook his head frantically, wincing as a stab of pain fired behind his eyes. ‘Don’t be so fucking ridiculous. Why would you ask me that? I’ve never raised a hand to Lottie, never once in my life.’

Kesey rested her elbows on the table, leaning towards her suspect, focused on him and only him. ‘I think that’s exactly what you did. It may have been the first time, or maybe not. Only you know the answer to that one. But you’ve done something this time. I know that much. I just need you to tell me what.’

‘No, no, no, for fuck’s sake no! I saw Lottie looking down from her bedroom window at one point, and that was it. I drove off as soon as I heard the siren. And then one of your pig friends stopped me on my way home, a big bloke with a beard and glasses. But then you already know that. That’s why I’m here. Why not just charge me with drink-driving and let me get out of here? If something’s happened to Lottie, I need to see her. The girl means everything to me. Charge me and let me go.’