‘And friends of friends, and parents of friends, we rang and rang. And, before you ask, we’ve searched everywhere in the house and walked round the neighbourhood. We went to the youth club she used to attend, and looked at her Instagram.’ Alan’s frustration boiled over. ‘Frankly, I don’t understand why you’re sitting here talking to us when you could be searching for her!’

‘What will you do next?’

Sasha could see the desperation in Jessica’s eyes, which were red from tears and a lack of sleep. The last thing she wanted to tell the Mannings was that she was going back to the office to fill out a form that may release resources to begin the search for their daughter.

She clicked her pen top, thinking of a careful reply, but before she had a chance to speak, Jessica blurted out, ‘You must think I’m a terrible mother, allowing Sammi to go out without even knowing where to.’

‘I’ve children of a similar age to Sammi.’ Sasha smiled kindly. ‘They’re in and out of the house, half the time I don’t where they are. And teenagers change their plans all the time. You think they’re one place, and they pop up somewhere else.’

‘That’s what’s happened.’ Alan took his wife’s hand. ‘She’s stayed at a friend’s.’

‘On a school night?’ said Jessica incredulously.

‘Children go missing every day of the week, and I’ll tell you what usually happens. Nine times out of ten they return home, or are located unharmed, within forty-eight hours.’

At that moment they heard voices on the doorstep. The Mannings stood, hoping Sammi was about to fly inside. Instead, the PC poked his head in.

‘Excuse me, ma’am, there’s someone here to see Mr and Mrs Manning.’

A woman barged past the officer. In her cashmere coat and kitten heels, the expensive bag hanging from her shoulder, she was instantly familiar to Sasha.

‘I came as soon as I could.’ The woman embraced Alan and then hugged his wife, but Jessica’s arms stiffened at her sides. ‘You must be going out of your minds!’

Jessica’s voice lifted irritably. ‘What are you doing here, Michelle?’

She was the woman who had stood, bored, at the back of the room last night while Sasha had spoken to Lydia – another of the abductees who had been taken to the Bad Place as a child.

‘I came to tell you I will do everything in my power to ensure that poor girl is found. As you know, I’ve plenty of contacts in business, on the council and in the press. I will turn this town upside down to get her back. I will not stop until Sammi is found.’ Michelle gave Sasha a cursory glance. ‘I’ll make sure the authorities find her or, I swear to God, I will make merry hell.’