It looked like she had left in a hurry.

Or been removed in a hurry.

He took his phone from his jeans pocket and called her. It went straight to voicemail.

The panic solidified and he sat on the edge of the bed, his legs suddenly weak.

‘Alice!’ he shouted. ‘Alice!’

He couldn’t go out to search for Alice; he couldn’t leave Joanna alone. And he’d tried calling her, but her phone was dead – or switched off by someone so she couldn’t be traced.

He called Nadia.

‘Hi, Tom. What’s up?’

‘It’s Alice.’

‘What about her?’

‘She’s missing.’

‘What do you mean, missing?’

‘I came home,’ he said. His words were tumbling over each other, his voice breathless. ‘I was at my parents’ house with Jo, and when I got back she wasn’t here. I tried to call, but it goes to voicemail.’

‘There’s probably a simple explanation. Maybe she just went for a walk?’

‘There a cup of tea on the kitchen counter. The water’s hot and there’s a teabag in it. She wouldn’t have done that if she was going for a walk.’ He tried to calm himself. ‘I think someone was here, Nadia. I think someone took her.’

‘We can’t jump to that conclusion, Tom.’

‘Then where is she?’ he said.

‘Are there any signs of a struggle? A fight?’

‘I didn’t see any.’

‘Have a look,’ Nadia said. ‘Start in the kitchen, by the tea.’

He went into the kitchen. There was nothing broken, no cupboard doors open, nothing on the floor.

‘I don’t see anything,’ he said. ‘But that doesn’t—’

He heard the sound of the front door opening, then footsteps in the hall.

‘Alice?’ he shouted. ‘Is that you?’

There was a click – heavy and foreboding as the front door closed.

‘Is she back?’ Nadia said.

‘I don’t know. Someone’s here.’

‘Tom. Be careful—’

He ran into the living room. He had to get to Joanna. He had to make sure she was safe. She was sleeping in her basket; he searched around for some kind of weapon. There was a poker by the fireplace. He snatched it up and hefted it in his hand. It was heavy, its solidity reassuring. He wouldn’t hesitate to use it if he had to.

‘Who’s there?’ he shouted, and walked into the hallway. ‘Who is it?’

Alice was standing by the front door.

‘Alice?’ he said. ‘Why didn’t you answer?’

She held up a letter.

‘There’s another one,’ she said.

She handed it to him. ‘You read it.’

‘When did it come?’ he said.

‘I saw it when I came back. I opened the door and it was on the mat.’

He took it from her. ‘I’ve been home for ten minutes,’ he said. ‘There was nothing there when I arrived. We’re being watched, Alice. Right now, probably.’