The room smelled mildly of damp, and was cold enough to suggest a window had been left open behind the drapes. The single bed was cluttered with an odd mix of fluffy toys. And, seated in a tight ball against the headboard, was the teenage girl Hawkins had seen just hours ago, being led shivering from the derelict factory unit.

Sarah still wore the oversized, dark blue jogging bottoms and sweatshirt provided by Victim Support. What appeared to be her own clothes had been found in one of the vehicles parked outside the unit, although by that time she had been twenty-five minutes away at Feltham station, and the garments had been retained for investigation.

Sarah’s dirty blonde hair was pulled back in the same ragged ponytail, while the underlying odour of smoke, presumably from the bonfire, reinforced the impression that she’d done little to cleanse herself since being dropped home in the early hours.

Not a good sign.

‘This is, er …’ Chapman turned, clearly having forgotten.

‘Antonia.’ Hawkins approached the bed, catching the girl’s hard stare. ‘I’m with the Metropolitan Police. Do you remember?’

‘The detective needs to have a word about last night, darling,’ Chapman said when no response came. ‘Alone, if that’s all right with you.’

The girl looked through him for a second, then gave the merest of nods.

‘Right then.’ He backed towards the door. ‘I’ll be downstairs if you need me.’

Hawkins nodded reassuringly as he left, waiting for his footsteps to descend the stairs before she sat lightly on the far end of the bed. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘You were there.’ Sarah’s voice was quiet, monotone. ‘Last night.’

‘That’s right. I’m one of the team who rescued you.’

‘You came in before the others. I heard you.’

‘Yes. My officers were on their way, but I was worried something bad might happen if I waited.’

The girl frowned at her for a second. ‘What do you want?’

‘First, to know that you’re OK.’

‘They didn’t hurt me,’ Sarah snapped.

‘I didn’t mean physically,’ Hawkins said gently. She had already seen the crisis team’s assessment, according to which the girl was completely unscathed. ‘But the whole thing must have been pretty upsetting.’

‘I’m fine.’

Hawkins wondered if Sarah knew about the large knife her kidnapper had been wielding, as she lay blindfolded in front of him. ‘Can I ask you about what happened?’

Another pause. Then quietly, ‘If you want.’

‘Thanks. How did you come to be there?’

Confusion. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘I mean … were you abducted somehow, or tricked into going somewhere?’

‘I …’ Sarah trailed off, breaking eye contact. She stared upwards, blinking rapidly, as if holding back tears.

‘We arrested them all,’ Hawkins reminded her. ‘They can’t hurt you now.’

The teenager’s arms tightened on her knees. ‘Can we talk about something else?’