‘I don’t know,’ Nick said, but he had a suspicion that Anna was off trying something heroic. Had she figured out something the detectives had missed?

Did she know where Josie was?

Bennet drove like a lunatic, but not by a long shot was he the most eager to return. Even before his car had stopped around back of the Carters’ bungalow, Nick was out and running. Detectives were in a scramble in his living room, much as he imagined they had been when he escaped the house to confront a child molester. He’d been building up to unloading his anger on Miller, who was top dog and thus responsible for these people and their mistakes, but that changed when he saw Jane pressed into a corner, as if she feared a single step would send one of the frantic detectives barrelling into her. Ignoring Miller, he pushed through the crowd, grabbed Jane’s wrist, and dragged her away from the mêlée.

In the bedroom, she hugged him and said, ‘I’m so sorry about Josie, Nicky. But they’re trying hard to find her. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.’

He’d had time to somewhat acclimatise to Josie’s disappearance, while Anna’s was still a fresh and bleeding wound. ‘Thank you. You’re right. But what about Anna? Have you any idea where she went? What happened?’

‘I didn’t see her leave. She was supposed to be across the road with a neighbour, but then I heard she had gone. She’s not answering her phone, Nicky. It just rings and goes to voicemail. She knows it’s me, so why wouldn’t she answer? Oh, where has she gone, Nick?’

Bennet called his name, so he slammed the bedroom door. ‘Did she say anything while I was gone? Give any clue? I wonder if she’s gone to try to find Josie. Maybe she knows something? Some clue she got when she went to the ransom call? From the man’s voice maybe. I felt her attitude changed after that call.’

‘Changed? What clue? How would she know something? We all heard the phone call. Those men didn’t say anything to her about where Josie is.’

She was right. But he couldn’t dispel the idea that Anna had gone to try to find Josie herself. ‘Where’s your dad?’

‘In the kitchen. He’s calling people. The police have gone looking, but they wouldn’t let us out. But should we go look?’

‘I can’t.’ He really wanted to, but Bennet had already convinced him of what he now told Jane: ‘I have to stay here in case those people call about where I can find Josie.’