‘Thank you, sir!’ She inclined her head regally. ‘Anyway, my walking boots are back in the cupboard, so I’m ready to hear what you’ve got lined up for me today.’

‘You timed your trip perfectly — it’s been paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork. Right now, you may not believe this, but there’s very little on.’ He sifted through a couple of files. ‘We’ve been informed that a lifer’s being released today from Full Sutton maximum-security prison in the East Riding.’

Marie grimaced. ‘Oh, there. They’ve got some nasty pieces of work locked up in that place.’

‘Including Dennis Nilsen and Charles Bronson. They say plans for a new “mega prison” have been approved for the site, but as you can imagine, there’ve been thousands of objections.’ Jackman grimaced. ‘I wouldn’t want one of those on our doorstep either.’

‘So who’s the inmate, and why would he be of interest to us?’ asked Marie.

Jackman looked at the report. ‘Giles Bannon, thirty-four, served three years of a life sentence for a crime to which he pleaded not guilty. In light of new and compelling evidence, he was acquitted of murder.’ Jackman looked up. ‘He was supposed to have killed his wife and child in their home in Northumberland. I don’t remember it at all. You?’

Marie shook her head. ‘Aside from a headline somewhere, nothing. So has this gone out to all forces or just us?’

‘Just us. Seems he’s relocating here. His parents sold his home for him while he was inside, and the village he lived in doesn’t want him back. They probably don’t trust the new evidence.’

‘So we get him. Great. Even if he’s innocent, he’ll bring a shedload of trouble with him. You never know, his old neighbours might turn up to give him a house-warming party.’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘Anyway, I suppose it won’t hurt to read up on the case. At least we’ll know what we’re dealing with.’

‘I was just going to suggest that very thing, Marie. Forewarned and all that.’ Jackman returned to the small pile of reports. ‘The only other thing is Uniform’s department really, but Ruth Crooke has suggested we might take a look, since we’re quiet.’ He picked up a memo. ‘She says here, “There have been several complaints of someone hanging around the school gates in the mornings when the children are going in. He doesn’t have a child with him, and although he is smartly dressed and fairly young, some of the parents have registered their concern.” Thing is, it’s not just one specific school but multiple. Uniform haven’t managed to catch him, but the complaints are still coming in.’ He shrugged. ‘We have no known paedophiles in the area or anyone on the sex offenders list that fits the bill.’

‘Sounds like he’s looking for someone in particular, doesn’t it?’ Marie said. ‘There could be a simple explanation. Remember that guy who was hunting for his wife? She’d done a bunk and taken the kids. He watched all the schools for months, poor man, just trying to find his children.’