DC King speaks. ‘If you think that a solicitor would help, then by all means we can arrange one or you can call a solicitor of your choosing. If you decide to proceed without one, you can request one at any stage, if what you’re going to tell us is that serious,’ she says. ‘You may want to continue this conversation down at the station. Just so we make sure it’s all recorded properly. We will have to caution you, which isn’t to say we’ll charge you without anything.’ She pauses. ‘Do you think it’s that kind of information, Alex?’ she asks.

I can’t stop the tears from falling.

‘I think it might be,’ he says slowly. ‘I know I should’ve told you this before. I was scared. I’m sorry. I was with Joe when he died. It was me.’

I see DC Black sit up and take notice. There’s something about him that reminds me of an over-eager watchdog. DC King shows more subtlety in her responses.

‘Okay,’ she says softly before launching into an official caution.

Words I’ve heard a thousand times on the TV but never dreamed I would hear in real life:

‘You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned, something that you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’

‘You’re entitled to have a solicitor present. Do you have someone you use or would you like us to arrange one?’

Alex shrugs. We’ve never had use for a solicitor before, save for the conveyancing of our house, and that’s hardly anywhere near the same level.

‘I know a good solicitor,’ Ciara chimes in, handing him his glass of water. She takes a deep breath, turns to the two police officers. ‘You have to know this about my father,’ she says. ‘He was not a nice man. He was not a good man. He did things …’ she pauses. ‘We can prove he did things … He confessed, in his diary. I’m sure your SOCO team took it with them?’

‘We can certainly check that,’ DC Black says.

‘What kind of things?’ DC King asks.

I can’t look at her in the eye. Ciara is, as always, stronger than I am.

‘He abused us, Heidi and me. For years,’ she says.

If DC King is shocked her face doesn’t show it. ‘Then it’s a shame he was never brought before the courts,’ she says, and while she’s right, the message is clear. Vigilante justice is no justice at all.

‘Yes,’ Ciara says. ‘It is a shame. A crying shame. It’s a shame he wasn’t hauled before the courts a very long time ago, but he was a very manipulative man. Clever. He had us all scared to speak. He was very controlling.’

‘I didn’t know about it,’ Alex blurts. ‘Until that night, I didn’t know. I only saw it in the diary. Where he wrote it. Heidi hadn’t told me.’