Kesey met Megan’s eyes, holding her gaze, resisting the desire to look away. ‘I need to inform you that Dale was arrested within approximately twenty-five minutes of leaving your home address in the early hours of this morning. He was driving erratically. He mounted the pavement and was seen by an officer. His vehicle was stopped, he was breathalysed, arrested and brought directly to the police station. He provided a second positive sample and was then placed in a cell after throwing a punch at the custody sergeant. I have confirmed that Dale is still in the cells. He’ll be interviewed very shortly. Hopefully, he can clarify matters.’

Megan’s voice raised in pitch as she looked back with an incredulous stare. ‘So… so if Dale’s here, if he’s locked up, you must have found Lottie. Just tell me where she is. What are you waiting for? For God’s sake, put me out of my misery.’

Kesey leaned forward in her seat. ‘Please listen to what I’m telling you very carefully. I’ve just spoken to the officer who made the arrest. He’s adamant that your ex was alone in the car when his vehicle was stopped. Wherever Lottie was, she wasn’t in the car.’

Megan dry gagged, swallowed, and gagged again. ‘What?’

‘I’m sorry, I can only repeat myself. Lottie wasn’t in Dale’s car when it was stopped in the early hours of this morning. If she had been, the officer would have seen her. Your ex was alone.’

Megan reached out, grabbing Kesey’s wrist, holding it tight. ‘Did the officer look? Did he search? It’s an estate car. An old wreck of a thing always full of rubbish. Lottie could have been asleep in the back. Under a blanket, maybe, or a coat, something like that. He can’t have looked closely enough. You need to look again.’

Kesey made no effort to pull away. ‘I’m sorry, I know this isn’t what you want to hear. But I don’t believe that’s the case. Lottie was not in that car.’

The tendons stood out on Megan’s neck, a pulse visible as she struggled to compute the unfathomable. ‘Where’s the car now? She’s on her own. The poor girl must be terrified. You need to look again, please, you need to look again!’

‘The car’s here in the police pound right now. I’ve had it checked. Your daughter is not in the car. I can say that with absolute certainty. I’m sorry, Megan, but the facts are the facts. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but we have to deal with reality.’

The colour drained from Megan’s cheeks, the skin bunching around her eyes as the tension changed the contours of her face. She looked suddenly smaller, older, as if her life-force were draining away. ‘But that can’t be. It’s just not possible. There has to be some mistake. Dale took her. Talk to him, for goodness’ sake, talk to him! If Lottie wasn’t in the car, where the hell is she? What on earth has he done with her? Talk to him now. What are you waiting for? You’ve got to make him tell you.’