‘O1 is a twice convicted paedophile. His previous offending is for possession of indecent images of children including examples of the highest grading of indecent image.’ Danny looked up to make eye contact again. ‘Marcus Olsen the Paedophile,’ he spat. He went back to reading: ‘The wider investigation evidenced that he sought to identify a target who could give access to a number of further victims, behaviour that is similar to what we have found with V1 through V5 in this instance.’ Danny continued, ‘There is a period of four years between O1’s release from prison following his second conviction and his first contact with V1. It is highly likely that there was other offending in this time. Marcus Olsen’s behaviour suggests a prolific and committed sex offender whose impact on his victims has been so severe that a number have opted to end their life. Further, it is apparent from his manipulation, specifically in the case of V5, that he actively seeks to groom his victims, then attempts to coerce them to end their own lives, thus removing the traces of his offending.’ Danny ran ahead over the next sentence and had to pause to take it in. He swallowed a couple of times, he wanted to read this bit out loud, but it was like his throat had tightened. He fixed on the man tied down in front of him, then broke away to force the words through gritted teeth. ‘In the case of V5, it is known that O1 sourced the tablets that V5 used in her suicide attempt.’

Danny laid the folder back flat on the chair, his movements deliberate and slow. He peered around again, then held his breath for as long as he could. He wanted to stop for a moment, to think, but also to listen, to be sure that he was alone. They had never worked out where Callie had got the concoction of drugs from. There’s legislation to prevent the sale of Paracetamol in toxic amounts – a fifteen-year-old shouldn’t be able to buy a single one. The police had still done enquiries anywhere she could have got them from. The doctors had been able to reverse the affects of the painkillers but the Paracetamol caused an acute liver injury which meant she had needed to be kept unconscious. The ventilator keeping her alive had then caused pneumonia in her lungs and they’d nearly lost her. He’d nearly lost her. And he still might.

Now all he could hear was the man opposite, his breathing heavy and erratic. He was sucking in shallow breaths like he was panicking. They fuelled another sound from his throat, a moan perhaps, whatever he could manage.