A minute later I confirmed that my camping gear was missing. ‘I never took the kitchen door key back.’

Five minutes after that, Leanne had called the police while Steph organised the limited number of party guests who were sober and knew the forest well enough to be relatively safe out there at night into a search party.

‘Where’s Sam?’ she asked me, as Ebenezer handed out party lanterns to supplement the limited number of torches. ‘He should be doing this, not me.’

‘I’ll try him again.’ I’d already called three times, but he’d not answered. This time I left a message and sent a text for good measure. Someone was calling the out-of-hours number for the forest park, but no one would be more dedicated or more skilled at locating Joan than Sam.

As the party broke up into those who were staying and those who were joining the search, the first drops of rain began to fall. It was fully dark now, and the temperature had dropped as the clouds rolled in, reminding us that it was now autumn, and before the night was over there could well be a frost on the ground.

‘She’ll be fine in the tent, with the sleeping bag,’ I tried to reassure Leanne, but my own heart felt like it had frozen solid in my chest.

I swapped into thick leggings, a hoodie and raincoat, grabbed one of the remaining lanterns and slipped on Nesbit’s lead.

‘Who are you pairing up with?’ Steph asked, glancing at the half-empty garden.

‘Nesbit.’

‘Not happening.’

I had a look at the people who were left. Steph’s brothers had paired up with Bigley residents, and Drew was dropping her mum home. No one else was fit enough to keep up with me. I was fully intending on running with my dog until we either found Joan or collapsed with exhaustion. Before I could argue any further, Irene appeared at my shoulder.

‘I’ll come with you.’

‘Irene, I’m going to be running. I don’t want you holding me back.’

‘Oh? Running quicker than twenty-six miles in five hours and thirty-one minutes? Because that was my latest marathon time, and since then I’ve only got faster.’

I handed her a torch and we sprinted out the gate.

I took Nesbit straight back to where I’d found him earlier that day. If Joan was intending on hiding from us, then she’d have moved on by now, but it would hopefully be enough for Nesbit to remember that his best friend was here, and pick up her scent again.

I’d thought the hour or so that Sam and I had spent hunting my dog had been frightening. This was a living hell. Pushing through the freezing wet undergrowth, slipping and squelching as what had been dusty paths turned to a mudslide and the rain dripped off our noses.