‘And … talked … Billy …’ I can barely make out what Stephen is saying for the sobbing. ‘It was my fault.’

‘Sorry? What was that?’

‘Billy told me he was in love with someone but I thought it was just a stupid crush. I told him to man up and move on.’

‘Billy was in love with someone? Who?’

‘I don’t know,’ he sniffs. ‘Someone he couldn’t be with, that’s all he said, and I changed the subject. And I shouldn’t have because then he disappeared and that fucking paedophile Jason Davies dragged him off the street and killed him.’

‘You know about Jason Davies?’

‘John told me. I can’t … I can’t believe I’m never going to see Billy again.’

His words run together as he speaks and it hits me. He’s drunk. At 11.05 a.m.

‘Stephen, Stephen, listen!’ I hold up a hand, even though he can’t see it. ‘Slow down. Firstly, we don’t know that Jason Davies had anything to do with Billy’s disappearance. And secondly, why is it your fault that Billy disappeared?’

‘I just said.’ He sniffs noisily. ‘He told me the day before that he was in love with someone and I told him to man up instead of talking to him about it.’

‘And you think that’s why he ran away? To be with someone he loved? Or because he couldn’t be with them?’

‘I don’t know. Why else would he have disappeared in the middle of the night? I should have talked to him about it. I should have given him advice instead of telling him to—’

‘Man up. Yes, you said.’ My heart races as I process what he’s just told me. This is new. Billy being in love with someone. This could give us answers. ‘Stephen, think. Did Billy give you any clues about who this person might be? Did he mention a name? Say how he met her?’

‘No. Nothing.’ He blows his nose. ‘And I keep thinking back to that day … when we had lunch at the Lodekka. It was my fault Billy got punched. I told him to tell Jake about Mark.’

‘Tell Jake what about Mark? What are you talking about, Stephen?’

‘I’m in the Ostrich pub. Meet me and call Caroline and then I’ll tell you.’