They heard a whistle and looked down to see Charlie waving, and pointing towards the village. A horde was approaching. They didn’t look like daytrippers. Reporters, Bish thought.

Back down in the meadow, the girls were picking flowers and Fionn was lying on the grass, the sun in his eyes and a degree of contentment on his face. His chair was close by and Bish helped Charlie get him back in.

‘Are you tired?’ Charlie asked.

‘Sick and tired of you asking me if I’m tired,’ Fionn said.

‘I’m tired,’ Manoshi said.

‘You’re always tired, Manoshi,’ Bee said. ‘Even in France you were always tired.’

‘They’re not going to let us go any further, are they?’ Fionn asked Bish.

‘We’ll get you home,’ Bish promised.

‘Maybe your mum will come here, Fionn,’ Lola said.

‘She can’t move from the house, Lola!’ Charlie said. ‘How many times does he have to say it?’

Lola started crying.

‘Stop blubbering or everyone’s going to think Bee’s dad molested us,’ Violette snapped. She put an arm around Lola all the same. ‘Come on, Lola, don’t be a wimp. You don’t want to end up like Lucy.’

Everyone agreed.

‘You shouldn’t be so hard on Lucy,’ Bish said. ‘Some adults don’t deal with extreme circumstances.’

‘Extreme circumstances?’ Manoshi said. ‘That’s what she was always like, Chief Inspector Ortley.’

‘Yeah,’ Eddie said. ‘Everything was a drama. Like, Lucy, can we have a toilet stop? I can’t handle this. You kids are pushing me over the edge!’

By the laughter, Bish figured Eddie’s impersonation was spot on, the pitch of Lucy Gilies’s voice, the hands flapping around the head.

‘Lucy, do you have a tissue?’ Manoshi asked.

‘What did I do to deserve this? It’s too much!’

Their laughter became wheezing and snorts. Bish hadn’t heard such unadulterated hilarity for a long time. Eddie had an audience and was on a roll.

‘Lucy, do they have internet coverage at the campsite?’ Fionn asked.

‘Why are you tormenting me with all these questions?’

‘I’m going to wet my pants,’ Lola said.

The laughing was so infectious Bish couldn’t help joining in. He should have felt guilty but then remembered that Lucy Gilies had known that Gorman had locked Violette up in that pantry all those days ago and done nothing.

Elliot and Grazier were ahead of the horde, looking out of place in their suits.

‘Don’t join them, Dad,’ Bee pleaded. ‘You’ll look like The Three Stooges of Doom.’

But he went to meet the pair. ‘What happened to keeping the press away?’ he asked them.

‘The hospital released a statement,’ Grazier said. ‘Most of the press are heading to Newcastle. This lot are locals. The Home Secretary wants us to take advantage of it. Would love nothing more than the media getting a positive moment with these kids. Especially Violette and Eddie.’

Bish shook his head. ‘Not after they put his face on the front page.’

‘John Conlon’s piece on the blog has gone viral,’ Grazier said. ‘Let’s show the world how unique Eddie is.’