She responded with a genuine smile. They’d been at school together, shared memories and lives that only those brought up in small towns would understand. She’d also stood up for him on more than one occasion when he’d been bullied at school – the ginger hair an open goal for some. William had been a quiet boy; she remembered him as someone on the periphery of things, never really one of the gang even when he was in a gang. He was simply one of life’s loners, although he seemed cheerful enough now, standing there with a belly that was just starting to show under his red and white butcher’s apron.

“I’m fine, William, just fine. Listen, I want to have a quick word with you, if I can?”

He looked faintly surprised, followed by the worried expression that everyone adopts whenever the police want a word. “It’s nothing you’ve done,” Frankie reassured him, seeing the frown lift as quickly as it had arrived. “You were an orphan, weren’t you?”

She saw the guarded expression fall into place. She wasn’t his enemy, she just needed to convince him of that fact.

“Look, I don’t want to put you on the spot – and this is just something I’m following up. When you were first put into care, it was the old orphanage you went to, is that right?”

William’s expression turned in a moment into one she recognised from school, the bullied boy’s acceptance that whatever he did wouldn’t stop the attacks, wouldn’t prevent the words that often hurt more than the fists.

“What of it?” The words came sullenly, as if someone completely different had taken over his place behind the counter.

Frankie hurried on, keen to finish questioning him while they were alone and uninterrupted. “I’ve heard that some abuse may have gone on at the orphanage. Did you ever hear or see anything during your time there?”

He looked panicked, it was the only clue she could read. “No. Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it. It was fine, just, just…it was just hard. A hard life for a kid. I’m sorry, I really don’t want to discuss those days. With anyone.”

He stared defiantly at her, the friendly welcome replaced with anger. Frankie couldn’t understand what she’d done to upset him. “I’m sorry, William, I didn’t mean to cause any upset. I was genuinely just trying to understand what life was like there, whether there was any truth in what I’ve heard.”

“Who’s been speaking to you?”

“Let’s just say I’ve heard rumours from a few people, William.”

“How many people?”

Frankie wondered where this cross-examination was going. “I’m not at liberty to tell you. I’m just trying to find out the truth, William – whether anything went on at that orphanage. Can you help me?”