After waving Emily off at the school gate, she carries on down Belmont Road, towards the shops, some of which are just opening. A road sweeper trundles along with his cart and grabber in hand; he tries to catch an empty plastic bag cartwheeling down the path. At the kiosk outside Uxbridge station, a small queue of people glance at their newspapers in between flicking their wrists over to check their watches. As she approaches, time seems to slow down and everyone stops and stares at her. A man at the front of the line with two cocker spaniels pulling on their leads, holds out his change to the woman sitting behind scores of front-page headlines in large bold letters:

BABY SNATCHED

Maddy blinks at all the faces staring at her. It’s in their eyes – questioning if this is her baby. She needs to be careful. Keep him safe, away from all the prying people Mother has warned her about. She turns left away from them, towards the main shopping precinct. Sam is awake but quiet, his cheeks the colour of cherries. Inside the precinct the metal grille covering H. Samuel clatters open halfway revealing the shiny black shoes of the proprietor. A man in the clothes shop next door is vacuuming as Maddy charges past. It is not until she has walked right through the centre that she comes to an abrupt halt outside an electrical shop.

Three televisions on a glittering podium flicker behind the glass. A woman she recognises is sitting at a table next to a policewoman. Her name is on the table in front of her: ‘Detective Inspector Fay Downy’. Cameras flash at them from different angles. Suddenly, the pale face of the woman she knows is filling the screen. Her watery eyes are puffy and shadowed, the blonde hair unwashed, almost mousy. She is looking straight at her. Maddy tries to read the trembling lips. She can make out the word ‘please’ three times before the woman breaks down. The camera pans back to the inspector. Her fingers lock together and lift off the table when she emphasises a word. The camera pans back to the other woman, holding a blue teddy. Maddy takes in a long, deep breath.

‘Terrible, isn’t it?’ says a voice next to her, giving her a start. An old lady with a shopping trolley bag is watching the televisions alongside her. ‘Who’d take a dear little baby?’ She looks in at Sam who starts to grizzle. ‘There, there, you’re safe and sound, sweetheart, your mummy’s here.’ The woman smiles at Maddy. ‘Are you all right, my dear?’