‘What?’ Rob said. ‘So whoever took them had your number?’

‘Yes,’ Matt said.

‘Which means this was planned.’

‘It seems that way,’ Matt said.

‘Look,’ Rob said. ‘This is serious. You need to involve the police. They can deal with this.’

‘We can’t,’ Annabelle said. ‘The kidnapper made it clear they would know if we do and we would never see the kids again.’

‘How would they know?’ Rob said.

‘I don’t know,’ Annabelle replied. ‘But if there’s any possibility they could, then it’s too risky. That’s why we called you. Can you help?’

‘I can try,’ Rob said. ‘Have you asked for proof of life?’

‘We got a photo of the kids. They look fine. Alive at least.’

‘OK. That’s good.’ He paused. ‘I’m still struggling to get my head around this, but you want to establish as much contact as you can. Negotiate. Ask for another photo, this time with a clock or something in the background that shows the time. A TV show that’s on right now. A football game.’

‘We can’t,’ she said. ‘We’ve tried calling the numbers, but the kidnapper uses a different phone every time, so the previous numbers just go to voicemail.’

‘Right,’ Rob said. ‘They’re trying to maintain control of the situation. What about the ransom?’

They had agreed not to tell him what the kidnapper was asking for. They wanted advice; they did not want Rob thinking he needed to involve the authorities.

‘It’s money,’ Annabelle said. ‘A lot.’

‘It always is,’ Rob said. ‘I think you should pay. All you want is your kids back – which is actually a reason not to involve the police. The police are going to want to get your kids back, but they’re also going to want to apprehend whoever did it, so they might take a different approach to you. So pay. Try to negotiate so it doesn’t look like it’s easy for you to come up with the ransom, or the amount will increase, but in the end you have to pay. You have to give this type of person what they want. It’s the only way.’

‘We have to give them what they want,’ Annabelle said, her voice flat. She was staring into the distance. ‘That’s what you’re saying.’

‘I know it’s hard to swallow, but it’s the best option. It’s the only one.’

‘How do we know they’ll return the kids?’ Matt said. ‘We can’t trust someone who would do this.’