Mack was doing some admin on the computer at reception while Liam worked on a client. It had been a slow day, but that suited Mack just fine. She and Flora had made plans to pick up an Indian takeaway after dropping Isla back home.

She smiled when she thought about having two of her favourite people next door, waiting for her. In fact, it was hard to stop herself from going next door most days, just to hang out with Flora and generally gaze at her lovingly.

I am so lucky.

At that moment Sandra burst through the door. “Are Flora and Isla here?”

Mack immediately jumped up on high alert. “No, why?”

“I was on my break, and when I came back, there was no one there. The back fire doors are wide open, and bags of rubbish are all over the place.”

Shit. “Show me.”

Liam asked, “Mack? Do you want me to—”

“No, you hold the fort here, and watch Dexter.”

“Anything.”

Dexter barked in distress as she hurried out of the shop.

Mack ran as fast as she could into Flora’s shop and out back. He heart sank when she saw the mess that was left. Flora would never have left this mess here.

Sandra came out and said, “What do you think happened?”

“Do you have security cameras out here?”

“No, nothing like that.”

Mack looked over the ground and saw something glinting. She reached over and found the locket she had given Flora. The chain was broken at the back as if it had been pulled and snapped.

Cold rage started to fill her veins. She closed her hand tightly on the locket and said to Sandra, “Can you shut and lock up the shop, Sandra?”

“Of course, then what?” Sandra asked.

“Just head on home. I’ll call you when I can.”

Mack ran up to the end of the lane. She turned the corner and saw that some of The Deep’s security cameras faced the end of the lane. She stuffed the necklace in her jeans pocket and pulled out her phone. She dialled Nikki’s number.

“Mack?”

“I think someone has taken Isy and Flo. Meet me at the club.”

They both hung up immediately and Mack ran across the road to the club. She pushed through the doors and saw Jay talking with one of the bar staff.

“Jay? With me.”

Jay hurriedly followed her into the office. The security monitors were on the back wall.

“What’s happened?” Jay asked.

“I think Kevin Drury or the McDades or both have Flo and Isy.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Nikki is on her way. They were snatched from the back alley of the shop and there may be some footage on the cameras. Two of them on the corner look directly at the end of the alley.”

“I know which ones you mean. Hang on, I’ll get the footage.”