Pulling herself up from the chair, Sybil tried to compose herself. ‘Thank you, Dora, I’m grateful you shared that information with me, truly I am. Now I won’t take up any more of your valuable time.’

Dora watched Sybil as she walked away: as usual her back was arrow straight and her head was held high, but Dora had seen real grief in her eyes.

‘Who would have thought in the world of God that those two women would have a single thing in common?’ she mused.

Desperate to get information that might give Rosie hope and a reason to live, Sybil paid a visit to Mrs Larkin at nearby Hope Farm.

‘I hope you don’t mind my turning up like this, unannounced,’ Sybil started, as she was ushered into the big, untidy farm kitchen. ‘I’m a friend of Rosie Pickles and I want to do everything in my power to help her. If there’s anything, anything at all I can do to help in the search, or if there is any news at all that might reassure her, please let me know.’

‘Poor woman, she must be going through hell,’ Mrs Larkin said, as she lit up a Woodbine. ‘Please sit down,’ she urged and poured strong black tea into two mugs and added milk. ‘I can’t help but blame myself,’ she murmured guiltily. ‘I was responsible for them and they ran off on my watch.’

‘Have you any idea where they might have gone?’ Sybil enquired.

‘I’ve gone over it a hundred times, in my head and with the police,’ Mrs Larkin responded. ‘One thing I do know, though,’ she added. ‘Ronnie planned it.’

Sybil raised her eyebrows. ‘How do you know that?’

‘His little rucksack has gone missing, and a few clothes, not that he had many, and the little bit of pocket money that he had – and two tins of baked beans. Sally seems to have taken nothing, though; my eldest said the little girl just jumped off the school bus and ran off down the road to find her brother.’ Marge Larkin concluded, ‘Like I said to the police, I think Sally had no idea of Ronnie’s plans – for her it was more of a last-minute decision.’

Sybil visibly paled. ‘God!’ she exclaimed. ‘I hope she caught up with him, as I can’t bear to think of them separated and lost.’

‘The police told me that both of them were spotted by members of the public at Grange Station, so we hope they are still together.’

‘Well, that’s something, I suppose,’ Sybil said. ‘If that’s where they were last seen, maybe I can take the train to Carnforth or Lancaster, to see if I can find out anything more there.’