‘Richard Emerson is our mystery Facebook liker,’ Kate concluded, and she echoed the groan that emanated from the team members who were in the office. ‘I know, I know, but at least we can draw a line under the surreptitious activity. Ewan, can you pass on our thanks to our Dutch colleagues?’

Freeborn raised his thumb in the air.

‘I’m going to go and speak to Georgie Barclay this afternoon and find out whether Daisy knew about her fling with Alfie. My money is on that she did, and it adds weight to the theory that she did run away, but doesn’t help us pinpoint where she is. Humberidge, where are you with confirming Barry Emerson’s movements on the Friday night?’

‘Mast activity puts his mobile phone in the vicinity of Lordswood. I’ve been digging into his list of former employees, and have found a Cheryl Oliphant, who lives in Lordswood, and I believe is the woman he’s been seeing on the side.’

‘Have you spoken with him about it yet?’

‘No, ma’am, you said he was off-limits. Besides, I’m pretty sure he’ll deny the affair, and put pressure on Cheryl to keep her trap shut as well.’

‘What are you suggesting, then?’

‘I’ll go and speak to her first, tell her what we believe to be true and see if she confirms it. One way or another, I’m sure she’ll tell Barry about the visit, and then he’ll come to us.’

‘How long was his phone in Lordswood?’

‘From seven that night until approximately eleven.’

‘That puts him in the clear for picking up Daisy, then.’

‘Not necessarily, ma’am. Just because his phone was there, doesn’t mean he was. Let me keep digging.’

Kate really didn’t believe that Barry could be involved in his daughter’s disappearance, she’d learned never to make assumptions. ‘Fine, but I want something solid by tonight, or you’ve got to let this go.’

He nodded his understanding, but scowled all the same.

‘Patel, any word from the guys up at the university?’

‘We finally have a possible sighting,’ he said, smiling for the first time in a week. ‘Vicky said when she showed Daisy’s picture to one student, he said he thought he might have seen her at a bus stop in Portswood crying.’

Kate’s mouth dropped. ‘When?’

‘Well, that’s where the problem lies, the student reckoned he saw her on the Friday night, but couldn’t give a precise time as he was already drunk when he passed the bus stop, but he remembered she was definitely crying. Vicky has got him to show her the bus stop and she’s now trying to get hold of traffic-camera and private security-camera footage, and will check it. It may be nothing, but it could also be a huge break.’

‘But we’ve checked the on-board footage of every bus in the Portswood area that night and at no point did she get on a bus,’ Ewan said.

‘Just because she was at a bus stop doesn’t mean she got on one,’ Patel corrected. ‘She wouldn’t have caught a bus to get home, because it was quicker to walk. We know her phone was switched off after she left Georgie’s house, so she couldn’t have used it to phone for a taxi, but that doesn’t mean she couldn’t have flagged down a passing one. I’ll keep you posted, ma’am.’

‘Let’s keep our fingers crossed then,’ Kate finished. ‘Thanks, everyone.’

The team returned to their desks, but Kate’s attention was caught by the sight of Olly Quinlan rushing past the incident room door and along the corridor.

Kate called Patel over. ‘I thought Olly was up at the campus with Vicky.’

‘He is,’ Patel nodded.

Kate left the room without a word of explanation, spotting the door to the viewing suite closing up ahead. She walked quickly, not wishing to draw unwanted attention to her movements. The blind was drawn shut, but as she pressed her ear to the door, she could just make out Olly’s voice on the other side, and he didn’t sound happy.

‘I told you not to call me again… I don’t care… oh please, do you not remember what I do for a living? Making idle threats isn’t going to—’

As Kate continued to listen to Olly’s side of the conversation, the anxiety gripping her tightened.

‘Where the hell do you think I can get that kind of money from?’

She’d known something was off about Olly, ever since he’d turned up late on Saturday morning. But had there been signs before that? She tried to remember back to before the discovery of Maria’s foot at the school. Had he been withdrawn? Lack of sleep and too many hours in the office meant the days were blurring into one.

‘Listen, you don’t have to remind me what will happen if this gets out,’ Quinlan half shouted.

Kate’s fingers brushed the door handle as her hand hovered above it. She’d already confronted him about whatever was going on outside of work and he hadn’t been willing to discuss it with her. She’d tried the soft approach and the firm approach, so would barging in on him produce a different result? Although she felt overwhelming responsibility for her team members, she was in danger of overstepping the mark. But if he was having money troubles, had he succumbed to leaking information to Zoe Denton?

‘Okay, okay,’ Quinlan continued, quieter now. ‘I’ll sort something… no I can’t afford that much… no, wait, don’t do that… please, leave it with me, I’ll sort it.’

‘Ma’am?’ Kate jumped as Patel touched her shoulder to get her attention.

Peeling herself away from the door, Kate inhaled deeply.

‘I didn’t mean to startle you,’ Patel continued. ‘What were you doing?’

Kate pressed a finger to her lips and ushered for him to move further along the corridor.

Patel eyed her suspiciously. ‘Everything okay?’

She nodded. ‘You wanted to speak to me?’

‘Laura just phoned and asked me to pass on that she’s spoken to the administrators at the school, and they confirmed Jackson still fits the image she printed off. She said she’s on her way to the courier depot now to show his picture around.’

‘Great,’ Kate said, as the door to the viewing suite flew open and Quinlan hurried down the corridor. Kate called out to him, but he was already tearing down the stairs.

‘I guess Olly wasn’t at the school, then,’ Patel concluded. ‘Is everything okay with him? He doesn’t seem right.’

With too many balls to juggle already, Kate waved away Patel’s concerns. ‘He’s just dealing with some personal issues. It’s all in hand.’