Sasha just wanted to get to bed, had to be up again first thing. She looked around the room, with its sleek fitted cupboards and long central island, and barely recognized it. Usually, every counter was covered with cereal bowls, abandoned all times of the day and night, and licked dry by the cat; random slices of bread, a litter of biscuit wrappers, dumped apple cores and empty yoghurt pots; discarded school books, and clothes. But tonight the room was spotless.

Sitting massaging her toes, she noticed with alarm that her daughter was putting on a pair of trainers. ‘Where do you think you’re going?’

‘Out,’ said Angel, as if the answer was obvious.

‘Not at eleven at night, you’re not.’

‘I’m going to the park. Nan said I couldn’t, but now you’re back, it’s fine.’

‘Angel,’ Sasha insisted, ‘you’re not going out.’

‘I’m just meeting friends!’

‘It’s nearly eleven, it’s a school night, you’re not going out, end of.’

Angel yanked off her trainers and threw them across the room. She stomped out the door, yelling, ‘You’re just as bad as your mother!’

‘Can you get my Xbox controller off Nan?’ pleaded Denny.

Sasha jabbed a finger up the stairs. ‘Bed!’

When Ursula walked into the room, Denny hotfooted it out.

‘Anybody would think they were trying to avoid me,’ her mother said drily. ‘Would you like a tea?’

‘I’ve had a long day,’ said Sasha. ‘I’m going to bed.’

‘Is this usually the time you get home of an evening?’

‘No, Mum, it’s not.’ Sasha flicked through the post. ‘But a girl went missing today, and it’s been kind of busy.’

Ursula thought about it. ‘That’s no reason for you to neglect your own family. I’m sure the parents of that girl, whoever she is, would understand.’

‘The parents are very upset and rightly so.’ The mail was all junk and she dumped it in the recycling. ‘Besides, I suspect Denny and Angel prefer it when I’m not here.’

‘And no wonder.’ Ursula pursed her lips. ‘They have the run of the place, they sit on their phones day and night and eat rubbish.’

‘Kev gets back early for the kids.’

‘Does he now?’ said Ursula. ‘It’s not like you’d notice.’

Sasha couldn’t meet her mother’s disappointed gaze. She often worked long hours – during a major investigation it was unavoidable – and the last thing she needed was her mother reminding her of the fact. Every. Five. Minutes.

These days, everyone in her family seemed to stay in their own personal space, even when she was there. Angel and Denny kept to their own rooms, or never looked up from their phones, and Kev barely seemed to interact with any of them any more. Sasha was terrified that it was all her fault.