The detectives returned to the house where the atmosphere was thick with tension. Martha glared at Radford as if he was personally responsible for the fiasco of losing her husband. She had a point; as the SIO he should have covered every base and he’d seriously misjudged the kidnappers, assuming they could be easily trapped because they were amateurs. They were all fearful for what would happen to Richard, and Danny when they discovered the money was short.

It seemed like a lifetime until Richard pulled into the drive. Martha ran out of the house, desperate to see if Danny was with him. As Richard stepped from the car, alone, she began to wail and pummelled him with her fists.

‘Where’s Danny! You’re supposed to have Danny!’

Suni tried to pull her off and between Suni and Richard, they steered a distraught Martha towards the house.

‘Let’s not make a scene out here,’ Richard spoke wearily.

‘Who cares? I want my son, I want Danny!’ Martha was on the point of collapse and they half carried her inside, where they sat her on the sofa.

‘Where is he?’ she sobbed.

‘They’ve still got him; they want the rest of the money and some more...’ Richard was soaked, pale and exhausted and after discarding his wet coat and shoes, he too, flopped down on the sofa.

Radford immediately started questioning him, his jaw set firm as if trying to control his anger. ‘We need you to tell us everything that happened this morning, starting with when you got into the car. What made you go in the opposite direction?’

Richard was visibly trembling, it was apparent the encounter with the kidnappers had shaken him more than he cared to admit. Martha sobbed quietly as she listened, gasping when he mentioned the gun. She wanted to scream at her husband, to make him pay for not bringing Danny home but could hardly muster the energy. When Richard finished relating the story, Radford continued the questions.

‘Can you describe the men?’

‘They were wearing masks. I couldn’t see their faces. They both wore dark jeans and T-shirts – one was average height, the other taller – over six foot with broad shoulders. He seemed to be the one in charge, the one with the gun.’

‘So where’s the phone they put in your car?’ Radford asked.

‘They took it off me in the lay-by,’ Richard lied, hoping they didn’t ask him to turn out his pockets.

‘So now you have to raise another hundred and twenty thousand, any idea how you’ll do it?’ Radford looked from Richard to Martha. Neither of them answered him. Martha lowered her eyes as the DI looked from her to Richard. She wanted the police gone before they asked more probing questions. Martha blamed Richard for the whole sorry mess they were in but there was work to do – she was determined to succeed where her husband had failed.