‘Yes, that DCI, Miller, she said that’s what will probably happen. They might want to get far away before they say where we can find Josie. Do you think maybe they somehow told Anna where Josie is and that’s where she’s gone?’

Possible. Bennet had suggested the kidnappers might just release Josie on to the street, but what if their plan had instead been to secretly give a location to Anna? Maybe they’d feared a five-year-old dumped on the street might get snatched again. It was only a theory, but the timeline gave it weight: Anna had run right around the time the money had been delivered.

It would be a dream come true if Anna returned with Josie in her arms, but what if she stumbled into the kidnappers? It didn’t bear thinking about, so he pulled the power cable on that train of thought. ‘You start calling friends. I’m going to find out if the police know more than they’re telling us.’

He got to the living room door when a voice said, ‘You two are up to something strange indeed.’

Nabi, the foul detective that Anna had had a problem with. The guy was in her cubbyhole, nice and comfortable, tapping away at the computer and not even having the decency to accuse Nick with his eyes.

‘What the hell did you say?’

Nabi didn’t even turn. ‘I’ll get to the bottom of this trickery. That’s not what I said, of course, but I’m saying this now. Where’s your wife gone?’

Nick started to walk towards him. Aware of this, or suspecting it, Nabi got up and turned.

‘Get out of my damn house before I throw you out.’

‘Got an anger problem, have we?’

Nick grabbed the guy’s arm, or tried to. Nabi slapped away the hand that reached for him, so Nick snaked out his other, but Nabi caught that one by the wrist. And in that position, as if about to dance, both men froze as a voice said:

‘You’re not giving a good impression here.’

Middleton. He appeared at the kitchen doorway, just inches from both men, who stepped apart like kids giving up a rumble at a teacher’s approach. Nick was ready to explode if Middleton said the wrong thing, but, surprisingly, it was Nabi who got his attention.

‘Your career rises or falls with your boss, Detective Constable. I heard her tell you to watch your attitude around the victims. I’m a boss, I know the score with insubordinates. Go against her, your superintendent will believe you’ll have the same attitude with him if you reach DCI status. Then the chief constable will think you’ll be the same as a super. So you’ll stop dead, right here, as a constable, with a brick wall ahead and a cliff behind.’