As we get closer, the splendour of the farmhouse hits me. I count seven windows across the second floor, and three bay windows at ground level. In the middle of the building is a stunning double-fronted door, with a pitched porch.

I pick up speed, aware my toes and fingertips are growing numb despite my extra layers. Once there, I peer through one of the windows, my hand making a bridge over my eyes to block out the brightness of the day.

I take in the lounge with its three sofas, expensive units lining the walls, and open fireplace. I never came to the farmhouse last time I was here, only ever saw the place from a distance, was comforted in the knowledge that the police had searched the house at the time.

‘I’ll ring the bell,’ Rosamund says. She’s on the doorstep, glancing my way.

‘I don’t think anyone’s here, but it’s worth a try.’ I step away from the window and join her on the doorstep. Dad and Finn are a few yards back, as though worried the house might blow up.

Rosamund rings the bell several times, before trying the handle. ‘It’s locked,’ she says.

‘Let’s look round the back.’ I take the initiative, and head across the snow and through a gate leading to the back of the house. I stand for a long moment. A five-foot wall surrounds the garden, behind which snow-covered public land seems to go on forever. I glance over my shoulder. Only Rosamund is with me. ‘Where are Dad and Finn?’

‘They said they’ll go the other way, try to cover more area.’ She heads towards a Victorian-style conservatory that stretches along half of the house, but I’ve spotted a stunning summerhouse halfway down the garden. It’s green, and hexagonal in shape. Not the kind you find in a DIY store. In fact, it’s big enough to live in.

‘It’s open,’ Rosamund calls, and I glance over my shoulder once more to see her stepping into the conservatory.

I look back at the summerhouse and make my way towards it. The door is locked, so I step towards one of the windows and peer through the grubby glass. It’s difficult to see inside, but I make out the shape of wicker furniture stacked up ready for sunnier days. I circle the building, but blinds are pulled down at most of the windows.

I head back to the house. I’m not keen on being alone out here, and I’m so cold. I step into the conservatory, knowing I shouldn’t be here, invading someone’s home, but I have no choice – we need to find Elise.