‘I wasn’t allowed to visit her for a while afterwards. They kept her in for weeks. She’s had counselling for it off and on for years now. I can’t remember a hell of a lot else about it,’ he said with a sad smile. ‘My family isn’t great at talking about their feelings, Detective. My mum’s the best person to ask about how well they got on, but she’ll probably just tell you it was fine either way.’

‘What about other family, or friends?’ asked Porter, bringing it back to the present. ‘Is there anyone else she might have kept in touch with?’

‘Anyone that meant more to her than her own brother, you mean?’ he said with a trace of bitterness, stopping himself before any more of it spilt out. ‘Sorry. I just have a hard time understanding why she doesn’t want anything to do with me or my family. She has a nephew she’s never even met.’

Porter steered him back on track and away from more introspection. ‘So is there anyone else who might know where she is, then, Mr Locke?’

Gavin Locke shook his head. ‘No, not that I can think of. She was fifteen years older than me, so we didn’t exactly hang out together. I was the annoying little brother. All her friends from school went off to university, and she was long gone before any of them came home.’

Was fifteen years older. Porter let Locke’s use of the past tense slide without comment. ‘What about her flat? Have you ever gone there to see if she’s returned home?’

This brought a slight frown to Locke’s face. ‘That’s the thing, you see – until you called me and said something had happened at her flat, I didn’t even know she still had one round here.’

‘So you’ve never been to her place on Rainton Avenue?’ said Styles.

‘Why would I have been there if I’ve only just found out she lives there?’

‘We’re just trying to piece things together, Mr Locke,’ said Porter in a conciliatory tone.  ‘I’m sure you can understand we need to be thorough, especially when nobody seems to have seen her for so long.’

Gavin Locke sat back in his seat and let out a deep sigh.

‘Sorry,’ he apologised again. ‘I think about her all the time; wonder where she is, if she’s OK, if she’s happy – that kind of thing. It’s been a while since I’ve actually spoken about her with anyone, though. I know you’re just doing your job, and if there’s any way I can help, I will.’