‘I assume this is documented in her medical notes?’

He shakes his head. ‘It was a tricky situation.’ He pauses. ‘There was an incident at the surgery.’ He goes on to tell me the same story I heard from Elise.

‘I’m aware of the details.’

He frowns slightly. ‘So you’ll be aware Hollie claimed I assaulted her?’

‘And you hadn’t?’

‘God, no.’ Andrew Buckley looks horrified. ‘Hollie wrote a letter of complaint and the practice manager got involved. I explained that Hollie had a crush, one that clearly I didn’t reciprocate. That kind of thing is rare, but not unheard of. It’s usually girls or young women seeking the attention of a father figure.’

I’m puzzled, because it doesn’t add up. ‘But that would hardly apply to Hollie. From what we know, she had a good relationship with her father.’ I watch him more closely.

‘I said usually. It isn’t always the case.’ But Andrew Buckley looks uncomfortable.

Alarm bells are ringing. If, as Andrew Buckley insists, nothing happened, Hollie must have had a reason for what she did. Staring at him, I trust my hunch. ‘Doctor Buckley, could there have been any other reason why Hollie might have lodged a complaint against you?’

He shifts on the sofa. ‘I’d rather this was kept quiet …’ He pauses. ‘If you must know, she’d found out about me and Stephanie.’ He adjusts the lime-coloured cushions behind him.

‘So you thought you could explain away Hollie’s accusations as a teenage crush?’ I stare at him, flabbergasted that he could do that.

‘She made one hell of a fuss about what I’d allegedly done. I thought that she was young enough that explaining it away as a crush and referring her for psychiatric help was the most practical resolution.’ He has the grace at least to look discomfited. ‘I had the rest of my career to think about. I’m not proud of my actions, Detective Sergeant. But I did what I had to.’

His arrogance leaves me horrified. To think that he could lie about Hollie, just to save his own skin …

‘Did you touch Hollie inappropriately, Doctor Buckley?’

He looks outraged. ‘Whatever else I might have done, I could never have done that.’ Buckley goes on. ‘Detective Sergeant, none of this is ideal. I’m perfectly aware my marriage isn’t what it should be, in spite of my best efforts. But none of us are saints.’

Brushing his infidelity under the carpet. Charming.

I wonder what Stephanie got out of their affair. From what I’ve seen, I’d challenge any woman to have a loving relationship with Andrew Buckley as my impressions are of a man who’s cold, domineering, and unsympathetic.

He’s also manoeuvred the conversation away from my initial question – deliberately, I wouldn’t mind betting – and so I steer it back. ‘Doctor Buckley, we were talking about Dylan. Where does he come into this?’