Patrick leaned forward, slightly concerned he might get hit by a jerking knee. ‘Jemima, we believe that all three of the children who were abducted were regular visitors here. We’re simply following all lines of inquiry. It’s nothing for you to fret about.’

‘OK . . .’

‘We also need a list of all your staff, including cleaners, any temp staff, anyone who has worked here at all over the last six months.’

‘That will be difficult for me to get on a Saturday.’

‘You know that Liam and Frankie are still out there somewhere, Mrs Walters?’ said Carmella. ‘Someone has them. We can’t afford to waste any time.’

Flustered, Jemima said, ‘Of course, yes. OK, I can get that for you but it will take a couple of hours.’

‘That’s fine,’ Patrick said. He gave her his card and scribbled his email address on the back using a felt-tip that was lying on a nearby art table.

‘It can’t be anyone who works here,’ Jemima said, to herself as much as the police. ‘It just can’t be.’

As they walked out of the building into the bright sunshine, Patrick’s phone rang.

It was Suzanne.

‘Any news from the Dads’ Club?’ she asked.

He immediately felt irritated again. ‘Are you checking up on me? You know I’ll report back as soon as—’

‘No, Patrick, I’m not checking up on you. DS Staunton just brought me some interesting news.’

‘Right?’ He watched a little girl clamber up the slide in the playground and slip down on her belly, giggling with delight. Her dad stood nearby, ignoring her, thumbing his iPhone.

‘We’ve had a call. A witness who says they saw something in the Sainsbury’s car park. I want you to go and talk to them right away.’

Chapter 15

Chapter 15
Helen – Day 3

As soon as Helen could escape back up to her and Sean’s bedroom, she checked to see if Janet Friars had replied. Nothing – just a message from Liz Wilkins, her former colleague, asking how she and ‘poor Sean’ were coping, which Helen deleted angrily. Her own message to the woman remained unopened. She deleted Janet’s message as instructed then sat and waited, staring at the computer screen, hoping that the little tick would appear saying at what time her last one had been read. Nothing. Janet Friars obviously wasn’t online.

Who was she? How could she know where Frankie and Liam were, and not have told the police – unless she was either a nutter, or the kidnapper herself?