But there was nothing to do.

‘Has anything weird happened?’ he said. ‘Any fans got in touch, on Twitter or Facebook?’

‘I can’t think of anything,’ she said. She picked up her phone. ‘It might be very recent. I can take a look.’

She tapped on the screen. ‘I don’t see anything.’

‘In the past?’

‘Not that I can recall.’

On the arm of the sofa his phone buzzed. He walked over and snatched it up.

There was a new message.

This is what you asked for.

‘What is it?’ Annabelle said. He held up the phone and she read it. She frowned. ‘What does that mean?’

The answer came quickly. The phone buzzed again and a photo appeared.

It was of the children. All three of them – Norman, Keith and Molly – asleep in the back seat of Matt’s car.

Annabelle grabbed the phone. She stared at it. ‘What’s been done to them? They would never sleep like that. And Norman would know something was wrong. He’d be too worried to sleep. The kidnapper must have given them something.’

Matt’s stomach tightened. What had they been given? What if the dose was too high? He leaned over and enlarged the picture. He examined their faces.

They were relaxed, their jaws slack. There was colour in their faces. They looked alive, at least.

The phone buzzed again.

They are fine. For now. They will not remain that way unless you do as I say. I will start sending pieces of them to you. First something small, like the tip of a finger. Then larger things. I will leave that to your imagination.

Annabelle grabbed the phone and typed a reply.

Who are you? Why are you doing this?

The reply that came ignored the question.

I will send my demands in the morning. If you do not meet them, or if you inform the police, this will be over and you will never see your sleeping beauties again. And I repeat: if you contact the authorities, I will know, and there will be no second chances.

Matt sat heavily on the couch. He studied his wife.

‘This is for real,’ he said. ‘This is actually happening.’

2

Matt sat back on the couch. His head was spinning. It reminded him of a time early in his career when he had had to deliver a speech to a room full of lawyers and his mind had gone blank. Brain freeze, someone called it, and it was an accurate description. Everything stopped; all thought became impossible.

‘This is insane,’ he said. ‘I don’t understand it. The kids are gone, someone wants you as a ransom. And I have no idea what to do about it.’

He felt, for the first time in his life, completely powerless. There were no options. All they could do was whatever the crazy bastard behind this told them to do.