It was a one-car garage, Best’s blue Ford Focus taking up most of the space. Wynne and Edwards entered through the kitchen; there was a door to the garden on the far side.

She tried the car door. It was unlocked and she pulled the lever that opened the boot.

It – and the garage – was empty.

When they had finished, she went back to the kitchen. Best was drinking a cup of tea. The plate was in front of him, empty. There was a smear of ketchup on the edge.

‘Find what you were looking for?’ he said.

Wynne didn’t reply. Next to her, Edwards tensed.

‘I didn’t think you would,’ Best said. ‘I tried to tell you, but some people won’t be told.’

‘Don’t take the piss, mate,’ Edwards said. ‘I get a bit twitchy when people take the piss.’

Best held up his hands. ‘Look,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry. But you come into my house and go through my belongings for no reason, so don’t be surprised when I’m a little miffed. I don’t know the girl and I don’t know where she is. Whatever’s happened to her, it’s nothing to do with me.’

Wynne ignored him. ‘Where were you on Friday around four p.m.?’ she said.

‘Shopping,’ he said. ‘I went to Morrisons to get my weekly shop and then came home. I do it the same time every Friday. You can check my credit card bill. The transactions will all be there. A neighbour probably saw me come home. You can ask them.’

He wasn’t lying, Wynne could tell. But that didn’t mean he was telling her everything.

‘Have you heard anything?’ she said.

‘About what?’

‘About a missing girl. Or about new material that might be available. Photos. Videos.’

‘Of course not,’ he said. ‘If there was such a thing, what makes you think I would have heard about it?’

Wynne looked at him and smiled. It was not a warm smile. It was not meant to be.

‘Listen,’ she said, in a low voice. ‘If you have done anything then one day I’ll get you. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you end up on the worst wing of the worst prison in the country, and I’ll make sure that the other inmates know all about you. They’ll be thrilled. It’s boring inside and they love something to do. But’ – she held her hands up in a gesture of friendship – ‘if you tell me about the videos and photos and I find Maggie Cooper, I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. I’ll be your friend, and someday soon you’re going to need all the friends you can get.’