Miller started to object, but Nick ran over to the living room doorway and stamped on the carpet. Everyone else watched, shocked. ‘Here, the carpet gripper. Let it sniff there. Josie cut her knees crawling around three years ago.’

‘Nick, calm down,’ Bennet said, ‘because you’ve got this—’

Nick approached the fireplace. ‘Or did we bash her head in right here? I guess you’ll soon know. And don’t forget the cellar. Actually, maybe we cut her up in the bath.’

‘Nick!’ Anna yelled. ‘Don’t you dare say such things.’

Nick jerked as if he’d been slapped. He took a step towards Anna, but stopped when she dropped on to the sofa, crying. Jane sat with her.

‘The superintendent sent the search dogs,’ Bennet said. He looked at both Carters, back and forth, as he spoke. ‘But DCI Miller objected. It’s protocol, but she said no. We trust you. Normally we’d have all of you out of here and down the station so a whole team could come in and search this place. But we didn’t, and we won’t. The dog handler isn’t being allowed inside. We know you didn’t hurt your daughter.’

Nick took another step towards his wife, but she didn’t look at him. ‘Anna?’

Still she refused to look up. He rubbed his forehead, looked at every shocked face watching him, and then quickly strode from the room.

Miller sat on Anna’s free side, but said nothing. That made it worse for Anna, who looked at her and mouthed: I’m sorry.

The DCI took her hand and shook her head. ‘Don’t you apologise. Okay? Not for anything, dear. Nothing you do while Josie is missing requires any kind of apology. I’m sorry, me, because the dog handler should have been gone. I don’t know why he’s still outside. You weren’t supposed to see him. And you’ll never see that face again.’

‘Like Josie’s, then,’ Anna moaned.

Nick needed a drink. In the kitchen, he opened a high cupboard full of cereals, but he wasn’t after cornflakes. From a bottle hidden behind the boxes, he poured a big dose of Jim Beam into a plastic beaker.

‘Drugs and alcohol?’

Nick turned to see DS Bennet in the doorway, watching.

‘The alcohol is my choice, at least.’

‘Don’t you need to be clear-headed for what’s coming?’

‘And what’s coming? Viewing my daughter’s body at the morgue? Watching your dog search for her body under the floorboards?’ He snatched up a large knife from the counter.