The call went dead. Sasha stared at her phone, wondering how they had got into this situation. She didn’t like confrontation, didn’t like falling out with people even at work, and hated feeling as if she was the bad guy. She went through some other numbers, the parents of Angel’s former friends from nursery and primary school. No one she spoke to had the faintest clue where Angel could be. In most cases, Angel hadn’t seen their kids for years.

And where was Kev when she needed him, why was she having to do this on her own? He should be here, helping locate their daughter, he should be doing something. You’d better answer the phone, she thought as she rang his number, you better bloody had, boyo. The call connected, she heard his phone ring once, twice – and then drop into voicemail.

‘Bloody hell!’ She threw the phone in her bag, slammed out of the front door and drove the Spider up towards Southend Airport – wriggling out of her jacket as she steered, the fierce afternoon sun heating up the leather interior – to where his firm was based at a nearby industrial estate.

‘I’m here to see Kevin Dawson,’ she said, striding into reception.

The young receptionist glanced at the sweat pouring off Sasha’s forehead. ‘Where does he work?’

‘He’s in Shipping.’

The girl tapped at a keyboard with long blue nails. ‘And who shall I say is—’

‘Tell him Sasha is here, his wife. I’ve been here plenty of times before, I know his office, I can just go straight up.’

‘I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.’ The receptionist frowned at the screen. ‘I don’t see him on the system. What did you say he does again?’

‘He’s in Shipping, on the third floor,’ repeated Sasha, trying to keep smiling, despite the girl’s clear incompetence.

But then she chided herself for being so unkind. The girl must be new and still didn’t know who anyone was.

‘Hi, Tyler!’ waved the receptionist as a man walked past. ‘You have a good afternoon!’

So she knew Tyler, whoever Tyler was, and during the entire time Sasha was standing there, waiting for her to find Kev on the computer – how hard could it be? – the girl nodded and smiled at umpteen people who walked in and out. Kev had worked there six, nearly seven years now. He was a handsome guy, and charismatic when he wanted to be, and Sasha couldn’t understand how the girl didn’t know who he was.

‘How long have you been working here?’ she asked her.

‘Three months. How time flies! I can’t find him on the system. Why don’t you take a seat while I make some calls?’

Sasha didn’t have the time. ‘Why don’t I go and see him?’

She went to the lift and punched the button.