Marilyn continued like she hadn’t heard the question. ‘I didn’t know about the children either. What he was going to do to Callie. I know how angry he was but you have to believe me! There are other things in the box, another folder for Danny Evans, more lies. But this time … These are the lies that killed Hannah.’

‘Where is he, Marilyn?’ Joel said again.

‘He can never come back here. Emma is where she is because of him … but he will kill me.’

‘Tell us where he is.’

‘Promise me.’

‘You have my word. Your husband never comes back here. Please, Marilyn, where is he?’

‘Close. He knew you were here looking for him. He came back to change his shoes. He said he didn’t want to get them messed up. I asked him what he meant and he wouldn’t answer.’ She gestured at the carrier bag under the bed. ‘He says they’re all he has left of our Emma. He talks about her a lot like that, like she’s dead. He hasn’t visited her once. She bought him some shoes, before she got ill. Before any of this. I don’t think he’s taken them off since.’

Joel paced over to them, sliding them out to get a better look. He spun to show DS Rose the tan brown leather with a contrasting blue streak over the top.

‘I recognise these,’ Joel said.

‘The hotel,’ DS Rose replied. ‘How close? Please …’ She spoke to Marilyn now, taking her hands in hers.

‘There’s a club. It’s closed down, has been for a while. He hides there. I think he’ll be there now. He can see the cars that come and go too.’

‘He won’t have seen ours.’ Joel dropped the shoes back into the bag and scrunched up the handles. ‘He won’t know we’re coming.’

Chapter 60

The shotgun was weighty but well balanced. Richard had grabbed a box of ammunition too, ripping the top of the box off for ease of access in his jacket pocket. Glenn’s shotgun took two cartridges, which would be more than enough, but he liked to be over-prepared – another throwback from his army days. The gun broke in its middle to expose the breech where the cartridges had a snug fit. When snapped closed the weapon formed a sleek line with the two barrels arranged on top of each other. Richard was now making sure that both barrels pointed at Nicholas Luckhurst’s chest. He’d caught him by surprise. But it hadn’t stopped him talking.