‘Mr Stonebridge, I am delighted that your wife is going to join us for a while. Perhaps you would be kind enough to fetch some clothes and toiletries for her. I am going to suggest that you leave her things at reception and do not visit Mrs Stonebridge. Oh, and no phone calls unless there is an emergency. We will get her comfortable in her room and start assessment immediately. Outside contact is discouraged during that time, it can be unsettling. I hope you understand.’

Will nodded, suppressing the urge to snatch Kate up and run away with her.

‘Please don’t worry,’ the doctor continued. ‘She will be fine here, and I see no reason why she shouldn’t be home very soon. I will prescribe a drug regime that is tailored to her specific problem. I assure you that I can help her, Mr Stonebridge, and she seems willing for me to try. Good news, is it not?’

Will nodded, though he didn’t trust Kate’s sudden compliance one bit.

Sam drove them back to Fenchester. Will was silent, his thoughts running all over the place.

After some time, Sam glanced at him. ‘It’s for the best, old fellow. I know it’s a dreadful thing to do, leaving someone you love in a clinic, but the care she will receive there is second to none. Lawrence is the best psychiatrist I know of, and I would be very surprised if Kate didn’t respond to his treatment.’

Will drew in a deep breath. ‘I feel much more relieved having listened to him. Now I’m worried about Sophie. The trouble is, Sam, I’ve seen so many cases like this. I keep thinking of Naomi Jones, and little Josh Wilkins.’

Sam nodded gravely. ‘I remember them. I was actually consulted in the Jones investigation. Did you work on both cases?’

‘Yes, I did. Poor little kids. I just cannot understand how these animals can do such terrible things to children. You know that the full details of what happened to the Wilkins boy were never released to the public?’

‘I recall that there were a lot of rumours doing the rounds,’ Sam said.

‘I don’t know what you heard, but they were probably all true. I was still a rookie copper then, and a PC James was on the case with me. A nice chap, real family man who had three youngsters himself. He left the force not long after it went to court.’

‘Too much for him?’ Sam said.

Will nodded. ‘Totally. After the Wilkins case, every time he got a shout, he thought it was going to be another butchered child. Poor sod.’

‘Do you have any thoughts about what might have happened to Sophie?’ Sam asked.