Bourne indicated to a long leather couch and offered drinks, which they refused. Jackman was eager to get this over as quickly as possible.

‘You understand the urgency of our need to find your daughter, sir?’ he began.

Bourne picked up a tumbler of what appeared to be whisky from the mantelpiece and took a swallow. ‘I hope to answer whatever questions you have. It’s my misfortune to know more than anyone about my daughter’s life.’

‘Is there a reason why we cannot talk to her personally, sir?’ Jackman kept his voice soft, believing that he already knew what the reply would be.

‘My daughter died last year, from an overdose. I had been trying to help her, first through a psychiatric clinic, then by keeping her here at home. I administered the drugs that the clinic prescribed, and for a while she improved, but her mental condition never properly stabilised. It was inevitable. It often is with cases like hers.’

Jackman wasn’t surprised. ‘My condolences, Dr Bourne. I’m very sorry for your loss.’

Bourne sank down into a leather recliner. ‘To say it’s all for the best sounds horribly callous, but as a matter of fact she was desperately damaged, Detectives.’

‘I know this must be painful for you, sir,’ Jackman said urgently, ‘but we have a boy in terrible danger, and we need some facts about Claire, Jordan and their son Christopher, to give us some idea of what Jordan is planning.’

Bourne gave a short, humourless laugh. ‘You’ll be lucky to understand anything that goes on in that man’s head.’

Marie leaned forward. ‘Dr Bourne, we have been given a number of conflicting accounts of Claire and Jordan’s life together. All of them cite domestic abuse and violence, but some blame him, while others say she was the instigator. Can you tell us anything that might lead us to the truth?’

Bourne put down his glass and folded his arms. ‘We were against the marriage from the start. But we would have been against Claire marrying anyone. When she was seven, she was diagnosed with a condition called IED — Intermittent Explosive Disorder. People suffering from this disorder are subject to sudden episodes of aggressive, impulsive, sometimes violent behaviour. The anger they manifest is always grossly out of proportion to the situation. It’s believed to be caused by an imbalance in the structure, function and chemistry of the brain.’

Jackman wrote this down, wondering what on earth was coming next.

‘When Claire found she was pregnant, she insisted on getting married to Jordan. At the time, she was taking her medication and regularly attending therapy sessions, and for a time, with Jordan’s support, she seemed to be getting on top of it. Even so, we asked her to wait until after the baby was born before they committed to marriage. We didn’t know how the pregnancy and the experience of childbirth might affect her condition.’