Another idea hit me, and I searched for Oxford and sexual assault. The fourth link began ‘Thames Valley Police are appealing for witnesses following a violent sexual assault on a university student on the way home from a Christmas party on Tuesday 22 December.’ The details were sketchy; the psychology student had been jumped from behind. Could it have been Ian? A different hunting ground but he was in Oxford over Christmas, or so he said. I shuddered, wanting to shake the feeling of discomfort that had attached itself to me. I went back to Google and typed in Nuthatch.

The care home itself had a nice bright website with a well turned out elderly gentleman in a wheelchair with a gorgeous young nurse beside him on the homepage. It was too perfect, a stock photo for sure. Apparently, Nuthatch had been refurbished and all staff trained to Level 3 NVQ in Health & Social Care. Somehow, I didn’t believe that. The man I’d spoken to sounded more like a nightclub bouncer. I’d be surprised if they ever recovered from the damage to their reputation.

Leaning back in my chair, I tried my coffee again, which had cooled. I frowned at the screen; it might be worth a try. I opened a new tab and this time typed David Shaw in the search engine. Again, the machine whirred, and I used the waiting time to finish my snack. Lots of results came up for Facebook and I scrolled past them. Nothing jumped out at me. There was an accountant in the Isle of Wight and a solicitor in London that both had web pages linked to their names, but I couldn’t find what I was looking for. David Shaw was a common name, there would be hundreds, maybe thousands.

I typed Oxford next to the name and hit enter again. On page three of the results another news report caught my eye. This one published in 1992 by the Oxford Times. I clicked the link and rubbed my eyes as it loaded. They were sore from straining at the dimly lit screen.

Another headline filled the space, this one made me queasy: ‘Boy found locked in cupboard’.

A man by the name of David Shaw had been arrested in Donnington after neighbours heard the cries of his son through the walls. The boy was six, according to the report, and was found malnourished whilst his father was at work. The mother had died of cancer and no other siblings were mentioned in the article. I shook my head. It was disgusting.

Clicking back and scrolling further down, I saw a later report from the same year stating David had been sentenced to five years imprisonment. It wasn’t enough. Sentencing never seemed to fit the crime. Always either too lenient or too severe. The boy wasn’t named for obvious reasons. Could he have been Ian? Could Ian have been locked up and starved?