It was no good, he couldn’t put off getting the old DI back in for questioning now that he had sworn statements, unwilling as he was to confront the possibility that his old boss – someone he’d always looked up to – could be implicated in all this. Decision made, he dialled Brian’s home number. At least he could provide him with some warning this time, give him the opportunity to explain to his wife before the squad car collected him.

Brian answered the phone. “Hello, James. I wondered how long it would take before I heard from you again.”

“We’ve three signed statements, Brian, implicating you directly in the abuse at the old orphanage. I’ve no choice but to get you in, officially this time.”

“I never touched any of those kids, James.” His voice held vehement denial, “So if any of those so-called witnesses have made that claim then they’re lying!”

“You’re not being accused of abuse, Brian, but of knowingly hiding it and refusing to investigate any of the children’s allegations. Why, Brian? Why didn’t you help them?”

The phone remained mute. “What about the girl, the reporter’s daughter, Abigail Stevens? One of our witnesses claims you brought her to the orphanage after her mother’s so-called suicide. Why would you leave a defenceless six-year-old girl in a place like that when you knew fine well what was going on?”

“She was safe there. I made sure of it.” His voice was so quiet Corstorphine had to strain to hear him.

“How could she possibly be safe, man? In the hands of psychopathic nuns and subject to the sexual whims of any number of visitors! Christ. I thought I knew you.”

“Nothing ever happened to her. I swear it.”

“Where did you take her, the morning she vanished? Someone saw you with her, Brian, in your car. She didn’t just run off and become lost on the moors, did she?”

There was a silence. Corstorphine wondered if the old DI was still on the other end of the line, then he spoke.

“Yes, I took her away from there. I set her up with a new family, somewhere far away where she’d never be found. I knew her mother had been murdered and I was fairly sure it was Oscar who murdered her, left her hanging. I can imagine the sadistic bastard enjoying telling her how her daughter would end up in the orphanage as she struggled on the rope. It was my poor attempt to make amends, try and make one thing good out of it.”

“Why, Brian? You could have reported it, got the placed closed down, made sure those involved were put away for a long time”

“What names have you got, James? The laird? The minister?”

“There’s more than that, Brian and you’d know better than I. You can add the previous Member of Parliament to the list.”