‘I don’t have it on in the hospital, Rhys!’ I say, reaching into my bag to retrieve and switch on my mobile.

‘I didn’t know what else to do,’ he says. ‘I’m so sorry, Kat. I thought it might help, but… hang on.’

‘What, Rhys? What is it?’

There’s a voice in the background, speaking brief, undecipherable words. Rhys comes back on the line, breathless and urgent. ‘Kat, James has asked me to go in and talk to him. I’ll find out everything I can and call you straight back.’

‘Rhys!’ I shout, but he’s hung up. ‘Shit!’ I throw my pen across the desk.

I try calling him back, his number now imprinted on my mind, but it just rings out then goes to his voicemail. My own phone kicks into life with a message alert. I throw that across the desk too. ‘He took the letter,’ I say to Gail. ‘He’s up in the Lakes now. At this man’s house.’ I refer to my pad. ‘James Grey.’ I scrunch my face up tightly then release in the hope that some clarity prevails, or that this headache might shift. I rub my temple, an ache pressing behind my eyes. I pull open my drawer in search of aspirin. The blister pack from hospital supplies stares back at me and I wonder if Gail sees it. I push the drawer closed.

‘So who is this James Grey?’ she asks, her eyes focused on my notes as if the answer lies within the scribble.

‘No idea.’ I drop back into my chair, all energy drained. ‘Rhys said he’d call me back. I’ve no idea who he is or what the letter says, or why Rhys thought it appropriate to just go straight up there. What was he thinking?’

‘The whole situation is a mess,’ says Gail, more to herself than me. My heart sinks. She takes my notes and heads back to her temporary station in my office. ‘Okay,’ she sighs, her voice drained of hope. ‘I’ll take all this down for the police. I think there’s an inspector in with Mark at the moment. There are patrol officers looking for her and a press release coming out shortly to make the public aware. We will find her, Kat. We will.’ I hear her telling me what I’ve been saying to Rhys, to Emma. I’ve even said it to Gloria. In truth, the longer it goes on, the less likely we are to be right. She doesn’t sound like she believes it any more than I do.

I swallow, hard.

The list of all the people involved in finding Susan puts an already real situation into full perspective. I no longer feel sick and frightened. I feel dread, deep in the pit of my stomach. Susan is missing. Susan. My patient. My responsibility. Shit.

‘Let me know if you hear anything else, Kat. In the meantime, keep on top of your ward. We need to maintain normality for the rest of the patients. They mustn’t sense any panic, okay?’