‘Darling, you’ve really no idea what David was doing. You’ve hardly seen him in the past few months and I don’t think you are in a position to comment on his recent drinking habits. He was certainly legless when he came here.’

Angelina didn’t reply.

Julian addressed Jazz. ‘So, Inspector, are you trying to suggest that David Millar had somehow found out Rory was being bullied by Charlie Cavendish and decided to take the law into his own hands?’

Jazz stared at him through cool amber eyes. ‘Circumstances would suggest we can’t rule it out as a possibility.’

‘David? Kill someone?’ Angelina had found her voice at last. She shook her head as if to clear it. ‘This is ridiculous! He might have had a drink problem and been very upset because he lost his job, then his marriage and daily contact with his son, but that does not mean to say he’s a murderer! Inspector Hunter, please, David’s a gentle man, not a killer!’

‘Darling.’ Julian took Angelina’s hands and faced her. ‘Please, be honest with yourself. I can accept that when he’s sober, David is a gentle man, but come on, look at what happened the night he lost his job? Not to mention the next morning when he was ranting and raving outside the house and breaking windows to gain access.’ Julian turned to Jazz. ‘I’m afraid Angelina had to issue a restraining order against her ex-husband a few months ago. He behaved violently towards her, and she was very frightened, weren’t you?’

Angelina put her hand to her temple. ‘But surely, they were extenuating circumstances?’

‘Yes, I agree,’ Julian soothed. ‘The problem is that the situation Inspector Hunter is discussing also indicates extenuating circumstances. You’ve already said how David was almost obsessively protective of Rory. And realistically, it is possible that, with a bellyful of booze inside him, David may well have been capable of wanting this Charlie out of the way.’

Angelina stared at Julian in incredulity. ‘I just can’t believe . . . no!’ She shook her head.

‘Mrs Millar.’ Jazz decided to break into what was becoming a two-way conversation with Julian in control. ‘I know that this is a very difficult time and I’m sorry for exacerbating it. But I do think we will have to step up our search for Rory and your ex-husband. Have you any idea where David might have taken your son? Any special place that he had either visited or was planning to?’

‘I know he was hoping to take Rory away for the half-term holiday and was cross when I said I wanted to take him skiing instead, but I didn’t ask where, I’m afraid.’

‘Was he fond of any particular part of the country? Anywhere he may have gone as a child?’

‘He liked climbing a lot, I know that. He used to go with his father all over the place: Wales, Scotland, the Lakes . . . He always said he’d take Rory when he was old enough.’ Angelina shrugged.