Although the report was of a break-in, with all the strange occurrences happening with Luke Jenkins and his missing wife, she felt she had to be at the scene to interview him, to be first in finding out if there could be a connection between tonight’s incident and Deborah being missing. As she drove through the damp night, she thought about Briggs and their fling. One positive was that he’d never resent her job if anything more came of the relationship. It was doubtful that Hannah would ever come around and understand what it meant to her. Maybe her daughter resented the fact that Gina needed more than family. Maybe they had become so distant due to Gina’s lack of disclosure about past traumas. Or maybe Hannah’s opinion of her was correct. Maybe she was a selfish cow who was always late and puts her family second. Maybes, lots of maybes.

She pulled up outside the Jenkins residence and spotted PC Smith’s car. The living room light was on. Luke opened the door wearing his dressing gown, T-shirt and pyjama bottoms.

Heidi stood at the top of the stairs in a Disney princess nightie. ‘Dad, what’s happening?’

‘Go back to bed, sweetie, or you’ll wake Max. I’ll come up in a minute.’ Luke smiled warmly at his daughter.

The girl rubbed her eyes. ‘Can I sleep in your bed?’

‘Yes, sweetie. Max is already there so please don’t disturb him. And turn the landing light off.’ The light went off as Heidi left. ‘Kids,’ Luke said as he massaged his temples. Gina followed Luke through to the kitchen, where Smith was taking a few notes. ‘This is where he tried to get in.’ A knife lay on the worktop. ‘I was scared so I grabbed it. I didn’t know what else to do. Can I get you a coffee?’

‘That would be lovely, thank you,’ Gina replied. She’d not had a drink since the night before and a coffee would certainly perk her up. Although she’d brushed her teeth, the distant taste of wine still assaulted the back of her throat, making her nauseous. She coughed into her hand. Luke turned away and began filling the kettle.

‘So, what have we got?’ she asked Smith.

‘Nice to see you, ma’am.’ He paused. ‘Do you think this has something to do with Deborah Jenkins?’ he whispered as Luke’s back was turned. The kettle boiled away.

‘I don’t know, but we certainly can’t rule it out.’

Luke poured the coffee and handed it to her. ‘Are you okay while I check on the kids?’

Gina nodded as he left the room. She listened as he walked up the stairs. ‘Have you called forensics? I want the gate checked, the garden, the handles – every part of it.’

‘They’re on their way. I’ve managed to take an account of what happened.’

‘Can you give me an overview?’

Smith flicked back a couple of pages in his pocketbook and began squinting at his writing. ‘My mum says I should’ve been a doctor,’ he said. Gina had heard that one before. ‘Right, at approximately 3 a.m. he was awoken by the sound of the latch being slid on his gate. It is apparently a little stiff and screeches as it’s slid across.’ Smith slid an imaginary lock before continuing. ‘It was at this point he looked out of the window and came downstairs. He said he left the light off so that he’d be able to see what was happening in the garden.’

‘Sensible,’ Gina replied.

Smith turned the page in his notebook. ‘It was then he saw someone trying to open the kitchen window before heading to the back door. He was standing there.’ He pointed to the kitchen door. ‘He saw a person he described as male, wearing dark attire which included a hooded top. He couldn’t make out hair or eye colour. He said he thought the man seemed slightly taller than himself so I’m guessing five ten, eleven maybe. There’s also a small step down into the garden, so we have to take that into account also. It was at this point Luke grabbed a knife out of the top drawer. Oh, and the man was wearing gloves.’

Smith walked over to the door. ‘The perp approached the back door and tried to get in. After failing, as the door was locked, Mr Jenkins stated that the man then grabbed the plant pot that was positioned to the left of the door and was about to hurl it through the window. Mr Jenkins then came into view and held the knife up and stood close to the window. The perp scarpered out of the back gate. Mr Jenkins ran to the lounge and noticed him running across the road and down the street, towards the entrance to the close.’

‘That’s great. Thanks. I’ll have a quick word with him in a minute. When you have the report typed up, can you email me straight away?’

‘Will do, ma’am,’ he said, scribbling in his notepad.

Gina coughed again and her nose began to run. She grabbed a piece of kitchen roll from the side and caught her sneeze.

‘You still sporting that cold, ma’am?’

‘Certainly am. I think it’s easing a little though now.’

Then came the sound of Luke walking back down the stairs. He entered and poured a coffee. ‘Can I get either of you anymore?’ They both shook their heads.

‘Can we just have a chat?’ said Gina. ‘I’ve just been updated by PC Smith, so I have the initial report. We’ve got a crime scene investigator on their way also.’

‘Yes. Please come through.’ Luke led her to the lounge. The Christmas tree looked a little off balance. ‘I nearly knocked the damn thing over when I was trying to catch sight of him running off.’

The lounge was strewn with toy trucks and colouring books. Most of them had been pushed into a neat pile but some remained scattered on the floor. Gina stepped over a box of felt tips and sat on the settee. Pen and notebook in hand, she began. ‘You say you got a look at the man?’

‘Yes. I saw him, but I seem to barely be able to recall a thing. It was dark and although my eyes were accustomed to it, I remember feeling shaken, sick to my stomach. In fact, I could throw up now if I thought too hard about it. My hands were trembling and I remember hoping to scare him off with the knife. I couldn’t look him in the eye. I just wanted him to go away.’ Gina watched as Luke clutched the coffee cup with both hands and began to, very slightly, rock back and forth. ‘My children were upstairs asleep. I was scared for them. I just wanted him to go. I held the knife up at the window and he went. I wish I could remember more.’

‘I understand. It’s not easy, I know that much. Especially being in your position, with a strange man trying to get into your home in the night, with your children upstairs.’

Luke stared into his lap. ‘I can’t cope with all of this. I don’t know what I’m going to do,’ he said, and burst into tears. His hands began to tremble and his coffee lapped over the edge of the cup. Gina took it from him and placed it on the hearth, catching a glimpse of the photo of Deborah.

‘Something strange happened the other day,’ he said. ‘I thought nothing of it until tonight. It probably has nothing to do with what happened, but it might also have everything to do with it. I’m rambling, I have no idea, but I think it’s the same man.’ He picked up his coffee again and took a long swig.

‘What happened, Mr Jenkins?’

The man wiped his eyes and walked towards the bay window. ‘Yesterday morning, about eleven, I was standing here, looking out of the window, and there was a man sitting on the wall, over there. That’s number fifteen.’ He pointed. As Gina walked over, she made a note of the house number. ‘He was just staring at me. It only lasted a few seconds and then he walked off. He was wearing a dark hoodie. The hood was up. I can’t recall anything about his features. He was a fair way off, as you can see.’

‘You’re doing really well,’ said Gina, quickly taking notes.

‘I can’t believe so much has happened since then.’ He sat on the window ledge and began to cry. ‘I was here with Brooke, a friend. We’ve become close and I don’t know what to do. What does a person do in this situation? My missing, presumed dead wife has been gone for four years. Only now do I allow myself to move on. I meet someone I really like and just as we’re getting close, my missing wife’s baby turns up – without my wife. The woman I’m involved with has no idea. I have to tell her. Very soon, I have to explain to my kids that they have a new sister. What do I do?’

Gina stared at the wall. She wished she could wave a magic wand and make things better for the people she came across who were suffering, but she couldn’t. The world wasn’t a good place. It wasn’t all roses, cake, parties and nice things. It was a dark place, a place that she’d yet to fathom. Luke sat there, rubbing his eyes, broken. ‘I’m so sorry for everything that has happened to you. You can rest assured that I’m doing all I can. Is there anywhere else you can stay for a while?’

Luke sniffed. ‘I think I’ll send the kids to my mother-in-law’s tonight. I don’t feel it’s safe for them here and it’ll give me time to think.’

‘That’s probably wise,’ Gina replied. In a normal case of attempted burglary, she’d have thought it unnecessary, but they both knew this was different. She watched as a van pulled up. The crime scene investigator had arrived.

‘I’d best let them in,’ Luke said as he walked to the door. Gina went back into the kitchen. She made a mental note to arrange for Luke to attend the station to give a DNA sample as soon as possible. His involvement wasn’t likely, but they still had to officially eliminate him.

‘I’m finished here, ma’am,’ said Smith. ‘Good thing is, no one has been in the garden since the incident so let’s hope our unwelcome visitor has left something behind.’

‘I’m not holding my breath. He was wearing gloves and a hooded top, and it’s drizzly and blowing a gale out there. You never know though. Can you stop by at number fifteen across the road in a while and ask if they saw a man sitting on their wall yesterday morning? It was around eleven. This man matches the clothing description that has been given to us tonight.’

‘Will do.’ Smith placed his notebook in his pocket.

‘I’m going to head back to the station for an hour then I’m going home for a shower.

Gina yawned and walked towards the door. As she stepped out into the cold, she nodded at Dr Freeman as he hobbled along the path. ‘You look tired, Keith.’ A strand of his combed-over hair flapped in the wind.

‘My back’s been playing up, been keeping me up all night. I’d just dozed off and the phone went.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that. Anyway, we’ve spoken to Mr Jenkins. The perp tried to get in through the back door after gaining entry through the back gate and no one has been in the garden since. The perp was wearing gloves and a hoodie so I’m not expecting much, but you never know. Can you call me when you’re finished here?’

He nodded back as he passed her with his toolbox. ‘Will do.’

‘Thanks,’ she called as she reached her car.