She felt a stroking hand upon her shoulder. ‘Then I can’t ignore this. I will put Josie on the PNC as missing. And Nick, too. But, my dear, he’ll have to be listed as wanted. You understand? He’ll be arrested.’

That kicked a cold trickle down Anna’s spine. In that moment she realised there was doubt that intruders had taken her family. But she quickly refocussed on the fact that why and how didn’t matter, only getting Nick and Josie home safely. And now that would happen because the police were going to find them.

Miller’s cruising agony aunt tone was gone, as if it had been an act all along. She spoke rapidly. ‘Now I need you to talk to me, dear. Tell me about your friends, and Nick’s. I need to know about all those places you both like to visit, like pubs you’ve enjoyed, country parks you routinely go to. I need to know if Nick plays snooker for a team every Thursday. Does he buy a daily newspaper from the same shop every morning? Does he have a loyalty card to a certain hotel chain? Nick might not want to upset little Josie’s routines, so, is there a party coming up that Josie is looking forward to? Does she have swimming lessons? A doctor’s appointment? Just talk and don’t stop, dear. I want to know your family better than anyone outside it.’

Anna rubbed her face with both hands, hard enough to hurt, and prepared to unload her life for this captivating woman who, act or not, desperately wanted to play saviour. But before Anna could say a thing, the quiet black air was sliced by the cordless phone ringing in her pocket.

‘Not out here.’

Her arm was grabbed, Miller’s grip surprisingly strong. As Anna was virtually marched towards the house, she pictured Miller as a young uniform, escorting hardened criminals with the same vice-like clamp, if only to avoid thinking about what she might learn from the phone call.

Once inside, the behemoth DS Bennet, who was waiting for them as if he’d heard the phone, dragged the curtains across to bar the night. Anna caught this peripherally because her eyes were locked on the phone in her hands, which displayed the words No Caller ID.

‘If it’s your man, ask to speak to Josie,’ Miller said. ‘We need to know the little one is okay. And let Nick speak first.’

Anna slammed the phone to her ear hard enough to hurt. She hadn’t registered Miller’s order, but she found that words wouldn’t come.

‘Anna? Nicolas? It’s June. Are you—’