‘Are you sure he was at your house?’

She nodded. We video chatted for a couple of minutes. I saw my room, he was definitely there. But I put my phone away because there was someone behind me and I didn’t want him to be found out.

‘How were you communicating with him?’ Singh asked. ‘We’ve been monitoring his phone.’

Leon said you’d do that, Samira replied. So I gave him an old one of my brother’s.

‘Outsmarted by a couple of fifteen-year-olds,’ Forest muttered. ‘Okay. Thank you, Samira. We’ll need the number of the phone you gave him. Is there anything else you can tell us? And I mean it. Lying to the police isn’t a laughing matter, and you can get into trouble for it.’

That’s all, I promise, she signed quickly, fear evident in her eyes. Leon made me promise not to say anything. He was so scared. Where has he gone?

‘That’s what we intend to find out.’

Chapter 35

The rest of the day dragged on for what felt like forever. Forest asked me to accompany Singh to Samira’s house in case Leon came back again and they needed an interpreter.

Samira’s family lived in a semi-detached house on a reasonably busy road on the outskirts of Lincoln. I sat in Singh’s car for most of the time, huddled into my coat in an attempt to stay warm. The crime scene investigators turned up after half an hour, lugging various items of kit into the house with them. While I was waiting, I texted both Max and Anna to let them know what was happening. I’d kept them both updated the night before, and I didn’t want either of them to worry.

I was starting to wonder if I could leave when Singh came outside and got into the car next to me.

‘Not a sign of him,’ he said. ‘She was telling the truth, though. The lock on the front door has been forced, so someone broke in. There’s a sleeping bag on her bedroom floor that’s obviously been used, as well as various food wrappers under her bed. He didn’t leave a note or anything saying why he’d gone, and Samira gave up her phone so we know he didn’t text her to tell her.’

‘So, he’s been here all along,’ I said, shaking my head in disbelief. ‘If only she’d told you sooner.’

Singh groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. ‘It was my own stupid fault for believing teenagers. But I honestly never would have thought a family could not notice there was a missing teenager staying in their house.’

‘Will Samira get in trouble?’

‘I don’t know, at the moment. It really depends on what happens next.’