Could Eric be the one that Mary had spoken about to Karen?

If so, had Karen told anyone? Is that what she and Eleanor fell out about all those years ago?

McNab didn’t see that happening. Karen, like most kids back then, was unlikely to have told anyone about the abuse. The majority kept it to themselves, letting it eat away at them into adulthood.

Staying where he was despite the heavy looks he was getting, McNab checked if Ollie had let Janice know.

‘I’ve only just worked it out myself. You’re the first to know.’

‘Okay, get the word out. The boss and DS Clark first. We need to find this guy before he realizes we’re on to him.’

McNab stood for a moment, contemplating his next move.

‘What are you fucking standing there for?’ a big guy finally challenged him. ‘How many dicks are you planning on looking at?’

‘Yours was an easy miss, mate,’ McNab told him before exiting.

Back at his table, he wondered who else needed to know the news. Eleanor Jackson maybe? McNab pulled up Mrs Jackson’s number and rang it. Then had another thought. Maybe she knew already? Perhaps she’d known from way back.

As McNab went to kill the call, she answered.

‘DS McNab.’ Her voice sounded relieved. ‘I was about to phone you.’

‘What is it?’ McNab said, wary now.

‘I wanted to let you know that Karen did come here and we talked for a bit. About Jack and his dementia, and her dreams about Mary. Then Eric appeared.’ She rushed on. ‘I wasn’t expecting him. Karen said she felt ill and needed to go home. I wanted her to stay, so we could talk some more, but she insisted she had to get home. That’s when Eric offered to drive her.’

Her final words were like knockout punches to McNab’s head.

‘You let Karen go with your husband?’

Eleanor sounded puzzled by his reaction. ‘Karen seemed pleased about it. She asked to use the toilet first. When she came back down, she looked a little better. She said she’d be in touch again soon, then left with Eric.’

‘In his car?’ McNab checked.

‘No, in Karen’s.’

McNab rang off then, before he found himself telling Eleanor Jackson more than he wanted to. The last thing they needed was for her to warn her husband.

As for Karen, why would she let Jackson take her, if she’d thought for a moment that he had anything to do with Mary’s disappearance and death? Whatever the answer to that, at least they now knew exactly where Jackson was.

McNab looked round for Ellie but she’d disappeared for the moment. He would have to leave. He could try and find her first, or go and explain later.

As usual in this job, he really didn’t have a choice.

Back at his vehicle, he alerted everyone necessary to what was going on. According to traffic, Karen’s car was now approaching Stirling. There was no reason to suppose it had stopped anywhere in between.