‘No, he won’t, you don’t understand. I need to go after him now.’ Maddy pulls away from her and opens the car door.

‘You’re not making any sense. Are you sure you’re okay?’ Sarah grabs her keys. ‘Let me come with you.’

‘No, I have to do this, and I need you to be here for Emily.’ Maddy climbs in the driver’s seat.

‘You’re sure about this? You don’t seem yourself, will you be all right?’

Maddy starts the engine. She bites her lip. ‘You’ll look after Emily for me, won’t you?’

‘Of course.’

Maddy heads straight to Cambridgeshire. There can only be one place Max is taking him. Why doesn’t he understand that Sam is her baby? She glances up at the rear-view mirror where her mother is smiling her approval.

The voice on the radio says that snow is forecast. The moon’s frozen face hangs in the pale blue sky. Silver trees laden with frost line the A1. Everything sparkles in the low sun. It’s as though she is entering another land. Her foot presses harder on the accelerator. There is no sign of him up ahead. She needs to get her baby back before he gives him away.

Maddy doesn’t remember driving to Lawn End. The last thing she remembers is the light dancing on the trees. When she arrives it feels as though she was at home only moments ago. The thin moon is high amongst the grey clouds. She stops at the end of the road, more from habit than anything else and it takes her a moment to realise that Max’s car isn’t there. Her breathing quickens. How has he not arrived yet? A rising dread snakes from her stomach to her throat. She grips her neck. Has she made a mistake, has he taken Sam somewhere else? Where can they have got to? Her mind flashes images of Max’s car overturned and on fire, Sam screaming trapped in the back. It quickly morphs into Max’s grinning face, driving far away where she’ll never find them.

Her pulse won’t stop racing. Should she knock on the door? Wait for the sign, her mother’s voice tells her. She turns the car around, and parks opposite the entrance to Lawn End, by the hairdressers, tucking her car behind another. From here she can see if Max does turn up, but he won’t see her.

Fifteen minutes tick by. A Volvo drives slowly past. Her eyes fix on the number plate, CPN 999. Time seems to pause. It’s clearly the sign she’s been waiting for: CALL POLICE NOW 999. She picks up her mobile. Her thumb hits the number nine three times. ‘Please help me, my baby has been stolen.’

Chapter Seventy-Three