‘And he’s passionate about the subjects he enjoys, Detective,’ added Patsy. ‘Almost to the point of single-mindedness, wouldn’t you say, Nat?’

‘Especially wildlife. That’s his big love, always has been. As a little one he had me building hedgehog houses and providing woodpiles for beetles and insects and such. I put up bat boxes and more bird boxes than you could count. He was on a one-child mission to save the natural world.’

‘Still is, it would appear,’ Max said.

‘Other hobbies have crept in over the years, Detective,’ said Natalie, ‘but recently it’s been conservation again, in a big way. Someone at his school was advising the children on how they could make a difference to help the natural world and save the planet, and his old passion was rekindled.’

I bet it was, thought Max grimly. ‘Did he ever mention the person by name?’

‘Oh yes.’ She chuckled. ‘Mr Edwards said this, Mr Edwards thinks that. Mr Edwards suggests I follow a career in conservation.’ She shook her head. ‘I said he wasn’t impressionable, but his Mr Edwards made a very big impression indeed.’

Patsy looked at Max and raised an eyebrow.

He gave a slight nod. Then he changed the subject before Natalie noticed. ‘I know this will be of little consolation, but we’re pretty sure that whoever has your nephew doesn’t intend to hurt him. We have no proof as yet, but it could be a case of a father looking for his missing son, a boy who may have been given up for adoption. As I say, it’s still a supposition, but it’s something to hold on to.’

‘Time alone will tell,’ she said. ‘All we can do is pray and wait.’

Charlie looked up from his notebook. ‘I’m very interested in your nephew’s imaginary friend, the one who turned out to possibly be real. I think you told Annie Carson that his name was Dylan, is that right?’

The two women glanced at each other. ‘We’ve talked about that a lot since Natalie first mentioned it,’ Patsy said, ‘and we’re now almost certain there was a boy. We think we know the reason why he didn’t want to be seen.’

‘Until last year, there was a big house down the road,’ Natalie said, ‘close to the level crossing. It was used as a shelter for homeless people. An old couple owned it who’d lost a daughter to an overdose and were trying to do whatever they could to help others who’d fallen on hard times. We suspect Dylan came from there and had been told by whoever was in charge of him not to speak to strangers or tell them his name.’

Charlie wrote that down. ‘That’s quite feasible. And this place isn’t being used as a shelter anymore?’