He felt Jez put a hand on his shoulder and that unspoken support made emotion thicken his throat, so that he couldn’t go on.

Kevin was listening to Sophie again, nodding. He turned to the others. ‘Jane’s recovered consciousness and she’s going to be all right, but they’re keeping her in hospital overnight, just in case of complications.’ He passed the phone to Jez. ‘Sophie wants to speak to you.’

Jez listened intently then said goodbye and looked at Kevin. ‘We forgot to lock up her house. She wondered if there’s anyone who can go and do it for her.’

‘Low priority. We’ll do it later.’

Jez turned to Donna. ‘Will you go to the hospital and make sure Jane has the very best room and attention possible?’

She nodded and slipped out.

Tom paced up and down, then stopped and said, ‘I’m going to the park. You’ll have to tie me down to keep me here.’

Kevin grimaced, then spread his hands helplessly. ‘My policeman friend is going to be very angry with me, but I’d be there too if they were my kids. Craig and Jez, you man the phones here. Tom, I’m only letting you go out on condition you do as I say. No rushing in. It could make things worse. She might even hurt the kids. I’ve a hell of a lot more experience of this sort of thing than you do, so you’ll let yourself be guided by me.’

‘All right.’

‘I’d rather come with you,’ Jez protested.

‘Then I’d have to worry about you as well. Please stay here. You know my mobile number if any messages come through.’

Jez bit back another protest as he watched Kevin and Tom leave. He paced up and down, but no phone calls came in.

Afternoon shaded on towards dusk and still no news. What were they doing? What could be taking so long?

Suddenly he remembered Sophie’s house. She’d told him her security code. The least he could do was go and lock up her place. How stupid of them to have left it like that! But it had been such a shock to hear about the kids being kidnapped, they’d both forgotten everything else.

He opened his mouth to suggest to Craig that he attend to this little matter, then snapped it shut again. ‘Just got to use the bathroom. Won’t be long.’

He walked briskly through the lengthening evening shadows. It would only take a couple of minutes to secure Sophie’s house.

Gail realised she’d been dozing off in the late afternoon sun and pulled herself upright. This was no time to fall asleep, though she usually had a lie-down at this time of day. Maybe she should hire a hotel room and then she could have a proper rest? Why not? It’d be a good place to meet Tom.

‘Come on,’ she said brightly to the children. ‘Mummy needs her rest. We’ll find a hotel, then you can lie down too, just like we used to.’ She saw by Hayley’s expression that her daughter didn’t like the idea. Well, too bad.