‘You have thirty seconds to explain to me what the hell you are doing in there,’ she said. She watched as one ART made its way to the ground floor. The other two stayed in position: one to the front and the other to the rear of the address. George was surrounded, and Kelly couldn’t work out what he wanted. There was no way out for him, but he had the girls.

‘I called him and he asked to meet here. I had no idea he had these girls here,’ Fabian said to her. Now wasn’t the time to search her soul to see if she thought she believed him or not. Her priority was making sure the two teenagers walked out of the flat unharmed.

‘I need Chloe and Sasha out here,’ Kelly said.

‘I’m trying to do just that,’ Fabian said.

‘What’s stopping you?’ she asked. ‘And what’s stopping me sending in armed police?’

‘Well I’m trying to help you, detective, and you won’t send armed police in here until you are a hundred per cent sure that no one is going to get injured,’ he said.

‘Is he armed?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ Fabian replied.

Kelly closed her eyes and rubbed them. She walked back to the ART that had retreated down to the car park and they looked at her, their expressions expectant yet patient. They were used to being deployed at short notice, only to stand down. They were also ready to repeat the whole process at any moment.

Kelly heard a female voice behind her and then a scuffle. She turned around and watched as a reporter, with a camera operator behind her, was trying to get through to speak to her and take footage.

‘Dear God,’ she said to one of the officers. ‘Get rid of them.’ She turned back to the concrete building.

‘Fabian, are you there?’ she said into her phone.

‘Yes,’ he replied.

‘Have you managed to talk to him? About why he has the girls?’

‘Yes,’ he replied.

Kelly heard his voice change and her stomach twisted in knots. ‘Fabian, you know why he has the girls, don’t you?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ he replied, and he let out a sob.

Kelly’s hand shook slightly as she held her phone. ‘Is he trying to protect them? Or is he using them to protect himself?’ she asked.

‘Both,’ Fabian said.

‘I don’t understand,’ she said. ‘I need to speak to George, and I need him to tell me the truth about what he’s done. But that can wait. I have to see those girls. Are they hurt?’

‘No, George wouldn’t do that. He has the same view of what my father did as I do,’ he said.

‘You mean you’re appalled by what he did and let down by him?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ he said.