She takes the phone, swiping up and running her eyes over the text message. ‘Another do-gooder, wanting to wish us well,’ she sighs, ‘some woman keeps messaging me, asking what she can do to help. How about get my daughter back for me?’ She throws the phone down on to the bed and sniffs, blinking hard.

‘You OK?’ I say, tucking my fingers in a loose curl of fabric in the duvet.

‘Just fucking dandy,’ Fran says, her cut-glass accent slipping slightly. There is an edge to her voice, and who can blame her? ‘I can’t wait for this to be over.’

I look at her in horror, not sure if she realises what she’s said, the way it could be interpreted.

‘I mean, I just want her back,’ she rephrases it, makes it easier to hear. ‘I don’t want her out there, without me. Without everything that she knows. I want her in her own bed at night, where I can go in and watch her sleeping any time I like. I want to be able to go to her when she calls me. I want our lives back to normal. And I want that fucking woman out of my house!’ Her voice rises, filling the tiny room, bouncing off the mural-covered walls.

‘Woman?’ I say, not quite understanding. I heard her refer to Pamela, Dominic’s ex, but she hasn’t been here, has she?

‘Kelly,’ she spits out, her face contorting with venom. ‘The so-called FLO. Who seems to not have a clue about anything except how to spy on people. I mean, what has she actually done? Nothing. Just snooped around listening in on people’s conversations and going through our things. I found her in here earlier, looking through Laurel’s chest of drawers.’

‘She’s only trying to help,’ I say gently, still unsure of how to deal with this new, different Fran. ‘It’s her job, you know that.’

‘Yes. Yes, I do, and I am grateful really, I just can’t help thinking that things like this . . . they don’t happen to people like us.’ Fran looks up at me, blinking as her eyes fill with tears. ‘I ask myself, what if I hadn’t gone to the loo? To get drinks? What if I’d held her hand the whole night? She wouldn’t have disappeared then.’

I consider how best to respond when all I can think is, Me too! I feel exactly the same – why didn’t I keep my eyes on her instead of just assuming she caught you up? Before I can speak, a light tap comes at the door and it swings open to reveal Kelly, holding a cup of tea.