Page 114 of 36 Hours

‘You’re West Midlands, so I ask again, what is this about?’ he said, not budging an inch from the doorway. His tone wasn’t hostile, but it was definite and assured.

‘It’s about the sexual assault on your wife.’

‘Have you got him?’

She shook her head.

‘Then what’s the point in upsetting her?’

‘We think it might be connected to a case we’re working.’

He began to shake his head.

‘Mr Keene, we’d really like the chance to catch this bastard.’

He stood aside. ‘It’s up to her if she wants to talk to you or not.’

‘Fair enough,’ Kim said, stepping past him.

The man then held a hand up in front of Bryant. ‘Not you. Not a man she doesn’t know.’

‘Of course. I understand. I’ll wait in the car.’

Six months wasn’t a long time to find any sense of normality after such a traumatic event, but Kim wondered if any progress had been made at all.

That question was answered once she stepped into the room. On the wall right behind where Melissa sat was a photo of the three of them, clearly before the attack. Melissa, her husband and their daughter all looked happy and healthy. Kim understood that the child had been seven at the time of the attack so the photo hadn’t been taken that long ago.

Melissa turned haunted eyes towards her husband. ‘Dave?’

‘Police officer, love. Here to talk about the attack.’

Desperate hope lit up her eyes. ‘Have you found him?’

Kim shook her head as she took a seat directly opposite the woman and her photo. The two-dimensional image on the wall held far more life and vitality than the flesh-and-bone version before her. And that’s exactly what she was: flesh and bone and a whole lot less of it than there had been before the attack. The contrast between the two was striking.

The hope died in Melissa’s eyes, and her gaze shifted to the floor. In her mind, it clearly didn’t matter what she was here for. If it wasn’t to say they’d caught her attacker, then it wasn’t important.

‘May I call you Melissa?’ Kim asked.

She nodded without looking up.

‘Melissa, we suspect your attacker might be linked to a case we’re working. I hate having to ask, but could you talk to me about what happened?’

Melissa shook her head.

‘Okay, no problem,’ Kim said. She had sworn to herself before stepping into the house that she wouldn’t push the woman into doing anything.

‘Hang on, love. What if it could help them catch him?’ Dave said.

‘Could it?’ Melissa asked with fresh hope.

‘I can’t promise,’ Kim said honestly. ‘But I’ll certainly give it my best shot.’

‘Where do you want me to start?’ Melissa asked.

‘I know that you were following a trail from the Little Trekkers website, so if you can start there…’

‘I’ll just put the kettle on. Inspector?’