‘I know.’ Matt took his phone from his pocket and unlocked the screen.

He was about to dial 999 when the phone buzzed. A message appeared.

Do not call the police.

He stared at it, his eyes wide. Dots scrolled under the message, and another appeared.

I repeat: tell no one and do not inform the authorities. I will know if you do and you will never see your children again.

More dots scrolled, then another message appeared.

My instructions will follow. Await them.

3

Matt stared at his phone. The man from the shop walked over to his side.

‘What is it?’ he said.

Matt did not want to answer. ‘It’s OK. I’m fine.’

The man tilted his head and looked at him sideways. ‘You don’t seem fine.’

‘I am. It’s just – I’m fine.’

‘Someone took your car with your kids in it, and you’re fine?’ He nodded at the phone. ‘What was that?’

Matt had no intention of telling him, because if he told him the man might take it upon himself to call the police, which Matt was not yet ready to do – he might be, soon, but he needed to think this through.

Which meant being alone.

‘Look,’ he said. ‘I appreciate the concern, but I promise. It’s all OK. That was their mum. She has them.’

The man shrugged. It was clear from his expression that he didn’t believe a word Matt was saying, but Matt didn’t care.

‘OK, mate,’ he said. ‘Whatever you say.’

He turned and walked back into the shop. Matt headed for a bus shelter a few yards up the road and sat on the bench.

He read the messages again.

Do not call the police.

I repeat: tell no one and do not inform the authorities. I will know if you do and you will never see your children again.

My instructions will follow. Await them.

He tried to think through what all this meant. If the car wasn’t nearby then it wasn’t a prank – none of his friends would have gone this far, and besides, none of them knew how to steal a car. What had the man said? Fifteen seconds with a laptop plugged into a data port in the car? Sounded simple but so did loads of computer things, yet they were still way beyond the capabilities of him and his friends.

So someone had come to the car while he was in the shop, climbed in, started it somehow, and driven away.

With his children in the back seat. His stomach clenched and a cold sweat broke out on his head and neck.

It was crazy – the one time he had left his kids in the car and some random car thief had chosen that moment to steal it.

And then text him.