As Richard hurried through the rain and into his car, he knew someone had been inside it. On the passenger seat was a cheap black phone which he’d never seen before, holding down a sheet of paper. He fumbled with the paper, dropping the phone in the process. Richard was on edge when he needed to be calm and think rationally. His first instinct was to return to the house and tell the police that someone had broken into his car, but instead he read the note.

At the end of the street head south, not north, and then pull into the Red Lion car park. Wait for further instructions. No police.

It was contrary to the previously arranged instructions and Richard would be headed in the opposite direction. He made an instant decision to obey even though he knew the police could not follow him. The kidnappers had Danny, Richard would do anything to get him back. The Red Lion was little more than a mile away, so he put the key in the ignition and moved off as was expected of him.

The rain was heavy and the wipers struggled to keep the windscreen clear, making visibility poor. Once at the car park Richard didn’t have long to wait before the black phone rang and he immediately recognised the voice of the man he’d spoken to the day before.

‘Step out of the car with the money,’ the man instructed. ‘Go to the hedge where you’ll see a black bin liner. Take all the money out of the holdall and drop it in the black sack. Throw the holdall over the hedge and your own phone with it, then get back in the car and wait.’

The call ended abruptly. Richard did as he was instructed, stepping over the mud and puddles. Thankfully it was early enough for no one to witness his furtive actions. After transferring the money he threw the holdall and reluctantly his phone, over the hedge, took the black sack and got back into the car. He was soaked through to his skin and shivering with both cold and fear.

Two long minutes passed before the phone rang again.

‘Drive ten miles south to the village of High Coatham and park outside the post office.’ The phone went dead. Richard had wanted to ask if Danny was with him and if his son was okay, but wasn’t given the opportunity. Left with no other choice except to obey these new instructions, he started the car and with trembling hands, moved off.