‘Oh, you know.’ He rubbed the top of his father’s hand. ‘There are people who believe all kinds of nonsense. That my father and Jerry Swann were members of a satanic cult and were secretly working together to enslave children; that a Masonic cabal within the police covered up the whole thing; that Swann now lives with Elvis above a launderette in Woking. Trust me, I’ve heard every conceivable variation on the theme. There are some disturbed people out there.’

‘Blimey,’ said Sasha. ‘Even now?’

‘There’s a hard core of true crime buffs who are still fascinated by what happened, isn’t that right, Dad?’ He glanced at his father. ‘We get all kinds of nutters with the strangest ideas trying to sneak up here, but they’re usually intercepted in reception.’

‘Your poor dad.’

Ian shrugged. ‘He’s oblivious to it all, lucky thing.’

‘It’s nice here,’ she said, looking around the bright, airy room. ‘And your father seems well cared for.’

‘He’s comfortable, aren’t you, Dad, we’ve been very lucky in that respect.’ The old man’s mouth spasmed and his tongue bulged momentarily between his teeth, but no noise emerged. ‘He’s a brave soldier.’

‘When did he…’

‘Have the stroke? Four years ago. It’s a cruel thing.’ He nodded at the photos. ‘As you can see, he was a vibrant man, full of energy and vim. He was always the biggest man in the room, but he was never the same after he was thrown under the bus. He was a good policeman, with a fine record of service, but there was a lot of pressure on him to find those kids. He simply didn’t have the proper resources, and he just didn’t catch any breaks.’

He hesitated, realizing Sasha was police.

‘Dad tried his best, DI Dawson. But when it was revealed that he had spoken to Jerry Swann on his own doorstep, the press went for him like a pack of hungry wolves. All of a sudden, every little thing that went wrong in the investigation was his fault. Dad was a convenient scapegoat. He didn’t deserve that.’

Ian reached out to wipe gunk from the corner of his father’s eye with a thumb. ‘It’s a terrible shame. I come to see him as much as I can, twice a day if I can, and we’ll chat. I love our chats.’ He winked. ‘They’re a bit one-sided, mind.’

Sasha checked the time on her phone. ‘I’d better go.’

‘Oh, I thought you wanted to ask some questions?’

‘I think I’ve kept you both for long enough.’