When they got to Southend University Hospital, Lydia and Michelle, who had been told what happened by Karin, were already sitting in the Emergency Department. Lydia was rocking backwards and forwards, and Michelle was awkwardly patting her arm, not trying very hard to comfort her. She jumped up as soon as she saw Karin and Sasha.

‘Is there any news?’

‘Lucas hasn’t been found, I’m afraid, but we’re doing everything in our power to—’

‘I meant about Sammi,’ Michelle said sharply. ‘I know you’re keeping Jessica and Alan informed, but nobody tells me anything.’

‘No,’ admitted Sasha, ‘but I can assure you we’re working on a number of avenues of enquiry, and have prioritized strategies that—’

‘Please!’ Michelle held up a hand. ‘Talk like a human being.’

Sasha nodded. ‘You’re quite right, I’m sorry, I—’

‘What about Simon?’ Karin asked, taking the heat out of the situation. ‘Have they said anything?’

‘Nothing.’ Michelle glanced towards the doors where the paramedics had wheeled him in to surgery. ‘We don’t know what’s happening.’

Sasha’s phone rang again; she had been unwilling to answer it while Karin was in the car, and needed to stay in touch with her team in case there were any developments.

‘Excuse me.’ She took the phone from her bag and, despite seeing the caller ID, said, ‘I’m going to have to take this.’

‘When are you home?’ asked Ursula as Sasha walked towards the automatic doors at the entrance.

‘Not now, Mum,’ she said. ‘It’s not a good time.’

‘It’s a simple question and doesn’t take any time at all to answer.’

‘I’m very busy,’ Sasha insisted.

‘Five, six?’

‘It’s going to be difficult tonight.’ She lifted her eyes to the ceiling, counted slowly to three, and then said, ‘If I’m honest, I’m probably going to be very late.’

Her mother tutted. ‘You can’t work yourself into the ground every night.’

‘Something’s happened and I’m going to have to stay to—’

‘I was hoping to make it a surprise, but I may as well tell you now. We’re all going to have a barbecue, spend some nice family time together. If you’re not here, it’ll be spoiled.’

‘That’s very sweet of you, Mum,’ said Sasha, ‘but you should have checked with me first. Another child has gone missing.’

‘I saw that,’ said Ursula dubiously, as if the whole thing was fake news.

‘As you can appreciate, I’ve got a lot, and I mean a lot, to do here.’

‘Hold on a moment.’

Sasha heard a door slam at the other end and Ursula’s muffled voice asking Denny why he was home so early. She heard him say ‘A kid got kidnapped’, as if it happened every day, and thump up the stairs.

Ursula came back on the phone. ‘Please try and get home by seven or you’ll ruin everything.’