Craig peeked around the corner. The corridor was empty. It would be easy enough to get to the lift, or he could take the stairs. He crept along the carpeted corridor, briefly putting his ear to the door of Carrington’s room, heard Ian saying, ‘… really proud of me, Dad…’

Then he walked towards the elevator, intending to meet Lolly downstairs. She’d only be a matter of minutes. He stabbed the button and the door opened wide.

But Craig thought about those guys in that photo, those old-style coppers. They wouldn’t have waited for backup, they wouldn’t have tiptoed around the place until other police arrived to steal their thunder. They were men who took the bull by the horns. It still rankled that he’d put in all that effort to chase Simon Parkin only for other officers, Lolly included, to bring him to the ground.

Also, he’d been made a fool of by Ian Carrington once before – and that really hurt. What if Carrington knew Craig was there, and that other officers were on their way, and took the opportunity to climb out of the window of his father’s room? What Craig needed was a result with which to impress Sasha Dawson; if ever he needed to earn a feather in his cap, it was now. He’d make sure Ian Carrington stayed in that room till Lolly and the others turned up.

He let the lift door close and walked back to Carrington’s door. Sucking down a deep, steadying breath, he stepped inside.

Craig enjoyed the shock on the man’s face when he saw him, and in that moment he knew instinctively that Carrington had taken those kids.

‘Hey, Jon.’

Ian swallowed. ‘Hello again.’

‘Oh wait, you’re not Jon, are you, or even Matt, you’re Ian Carrington.’ He nodded at the Breitling on Ian’s wrist, the one he’d worn when they had met previously. ‘And just for the record, it looked better on your old man.’

Sitting holding his father’s hand, Ian gently replaced it in Peter’s lap and stood up.

‘It’s nice to see you again,’ he told Craig, ‘but you’ll have to excuse me, I’ve got somewhere I have to be.’

Craig held up a warning hand; he really didn’t want to have to subdue him. ‘Stay back, please.’