I watched him ring the doorbell first, just in case there was someone in the house. He needed to do things the official way, of course, but I was anxious watching him. What if Leon was in the house? What if he was injured?

After a couple of minutes it was pretty clear nobody was going to come to the door. Singh walked around the side of the house, then disappeared from view.

I tried to wait patiently; I really did. But after a few minutes my curiosity got the better of me and I followed him.

I walked to the nearest window and peered through, seeing a well-furnished living room. There was no sign of Leon or Singh, so I carried on around the house until I came to patio doors leading into the kitchen. I tried the door gingerly, but it was locked. For a brief moment I considered breaking in, but remembered the police would be arriving soon.

As I turned round, I heard the crunch of someone walking over snow, and froze. Had Liz come home and seen my footprints leading round the side of the house? A sudden movement in front of me made me jump.

‘Paige! I told you to stay in the car!’ Singh gave me an exasperated look.

‘I was worried something was going to happen to you,’ I told him, glancing over his shoulder towards the garden. ‘Have you tried the summerhouse?’

I hadn’t noticed the structure at first, tucked away in the corner of the huge garden, but from this angle it was obvious. It wasn’t visible from the road, and I’d been concentrating on the house as I’d come round the back. The wood was painted a white that had weathered over time, and it blended in well with the snow.

‘Not yet. You need to go back to the car.’

‘I’m here now,’ I replied, and I set off down the garden. He quickly followed, our feet sinking into a couple of drifts that came well past our ankles. A quick glance through the window of the summerhouse filled me with relief. Leon was curled up on a sofa, his hands and feet bound and a gag over his mouth, but he looked up when I appeared at the window, so I knew he was alive. I tried the door but it was locked, and when the boy saw me and Singh there was panic on his face.

It’s okay, we’re with the police, I signed to him through the door, but this didn’t seem to calm him. Singh elbowed one of the panes of glass in the door until it broke, while I watched for the back-up he had assured me was on the way. Thankfully, it was only flimsy glass and didn’t require much effort, but he was still careful when he reached inside to unlock the door. He didn’t want a scar to match mine.