‘This won’t be quite so easy.’ Rubbing his chin and frowning, Palmer looked up.

‘Just tell us what to do, Sergeant,’ the officer in charge said. ‘If anyone is up there, they certainly know we’re here. There is no chance of surprising them, so let’s get on with it.’

Matt and Palmer led a group of men to an old scratched and peeling door on the outside of the mill. It opened to reveal an alcove and a flight of steps that led up inside the thick double wall.

Matt whispered to the first man ready to go. ‘Be very careful. The room is a sort of gallery, a wide area called a reefing stage. There used to be a balustrade, but it was rotting away when I was a boy. Now I should think the floor just stops. In fact, the whole thing could have fallen in, so make sure before you step off the staircase that there is a floor at all.’

Three men prepared for the ascent.

‘Go! Go! Go!’

Philip gripped Will’s shoulder. Some time later, a radio crackled into life. Tinny voices shouted something unintelligible, then shouted again.

Will grabbed the Canadian’s arm. ‘What did they say?’

Philip’s mouth worked, but no sound emerged.

Sam turned to Will in amazement. ‘They’ve got her!’

‘Is she . . . ?’

Charlotte Anders moved forward. ‘Fenner! The girl?’

‘We don’t even know if it’s her yet,’ Fenner said. ‘But whoever it is, she’s alive.’

Everyone moved towards the black door.

‘Get back! For God’s sake, you’ll frighten the kid to death! Go on — move back! Where’s the child protection officers?’ Anders called.

Two women in plain clothes moved to the front of the small crowd. Will found that he was standing next to the inspector.

‘They’re coming out!’

Everyone fell silent.

Will stood and watched. What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion.

The black-garbed officer carried the child in his arms. As he gently lowered her to the ground, the policewomen rushed forward and threw blankets around her.

Will, his mouth slightly open, stared at his bedraggled niece.

He took a step towards her and her eyes met his. His Sophie! Safe! Alive! He opened his arms to her.

Her mouth rounded into a terrible, soundless scream. She pulled away from him, her eyes wild with terror. She looked around, as if searching for an escape route.

‘Sophie?’ Will said.

The inspector gripped his arm, holding him back. There was no need. Will had frozen to the spot.

Sam came running towards him, shouting. ‘Hold on, old chap. We have no idea what she has been through. Let them get her to a place of safety and we’ll ask questions later.’ Sam stood in front of him, his hands on Will’s shoulders, blocking his view of the distraught child and her rescuers.