This was kids nowadays. Anyone who was out of the social media loop for more than a few hours was assumed dead or at least in a coma.

‘Have you still got the message she sent you?’ Jai asked.

Izzy fished out her phone and tapped the screen. ‘Here.’

Five p.m. on Sunday: Think I might be on to something. Let you know later xx.

‘On to something about what?’ Jai said.

Izzy sniffed. ‘Probably about her real dad.’

‘Her real dad?’ Jai said.

‘Yeah, she was adopted.’

I glanced at Jai. He raised his eyebrows. We hadn’t known that.

Izzy carried on: ‘She doesn’t talk about it much. Her real mum’s dead, but Violet knew she originally came from Gritton. She doesn’t know who her dad was.’

‘Is that why she found a job in Gritton? So she could look for her biological father?’

‘Yes. But she didn’t want anyone to know. With her being … who she is and all that. She was really messed up about it. I told her it might be best to leave it be, but she wouldn’t. Do you think she found him and …’

We waited, but she didn’t say more. At least that answered the question of why Violet had come to a backwater village in the boonies. ‘Did she have any idea who her biological father was?’ Jai asked.

‘No. She knew her mother’s name – Rebecca Smith – but she died when Violet was a baby. So Violet was asking questions in the village, hoping to find out who her dad was. But, like, carefully, not telling anyone why she was asking. I wondered if somebody had told her. And if Violet was going to try and see him. Last night, I mean.’

‘If she found her biological father,’ I said, ‘do you think there’s a chance she might stay with him for a while and not tell anyone?’

‘She’d contact me. She’d know how worried I’d be. And she’d want to tell me she’d found him.’

I was holding on to the possibility that Violet had disappeared voluntarily, even as the likelihood slipped away with each passing minute. ‘You know you have to tell us if she’s been in touch, Izzy, don’t you?’ I said. ‘Even if she made you promise not to? We’re very concerned about her.’

Izzy shook her head, hair flying. ‘She hasn’t been in touch! I’m not lying. Honestly!’

I should have let smooth-operator Jai carry on asking the questions. I didn’t have the knack with this one.

I smiled at her, trying to get her to calm the hell down, and indicated to Jai to carry on. ‘How does Violet get on with her parents?’ he asked. ‘Her adoptive parents, I mean.’