She had not seen her mum since Saturday afternoon, when she’d forced her into the back of a car driven by a woman called Denise. Denise had taken Jane to an impressive barn conversion for two nights and she had been allowed her own room with a real bed and a TV.

But a few hours ago, Denise had driven Jane to Leeds station and given her this piece of paper. She’d said, ‘Go here and nowhere else. Don’t speak to anyone. Don’t call anyone. Because we’ll be watching you, and if you do you’ll never see your mother again.’

Jane had taken the paper and bought a ticket to Manchester. In Piccadilly station she’d spent too long studying the map of the city and a security guard had approached her. She had no idea who Denise meant by ‘we’, but she gave Jane the creeps. Something about the way she looked at you, sort of cold and distant.

Jane checked the number of the next house. Forty-one. There was a large vase of white lilies in the front window. Jane knocked on the door and waited, scrunching the piece of paper in her hand. A red-haired lady in a knee-length denim dress and Converse trainers answered.

‘Can I help you?’ she said.

‘I’m Jane. I was told to come here to meet my mum.’

‘Oh, my.’ Jane couldn’t read her expression. ‘Come in. Come in.’

Jane stepped into the hallway.

‘Thomas?’ called the woman. ‘Can you come here, please?’

‘Is my mum here?’ Jane said, as a tall man walked out of a room at the back of the house. ‘Her name’s Lana.’

The man stopped, the polite smile frozen on his face.

‘Jane?’ he whispered. He didn’t look like the other men her mum usually spent time with. He had kind eyes. A phone started ringing and he reached into his pocket for his mobile.

‘Lake,’ he said, the polite smile still in place.

‘Darling, is this the right time to …’ The woman held her thumb and little finger out, mimicking answering a phone.

‘Yes, she’s here,’ the man said.

‘Is that Mum? Can I speak to her?’ Jane stepped towards him.

He shook his head. ‘I see … OK … And why?’ He listened for a moment.

His eyes met Jane’s and she was sure she saw tears.

‘Has something happened to my mum?’ she asked. ‘I want to speak to her. Let me speak to her.’ Jane lunged for the phone, grabbing it from his hand and holding it to her ear.

‘Mum? I’m here. I came straight here, just like you said. I didn’t go anywhere else or speak to anyone. I did just what you said. Hello? Hello?’ They’d hung up. ‘Was that my mum?’

Lake shook his head. ‘A friend of hers.’

‘Is she coming?’

Lake shook his head and then looked at the woman.