She killed the call and dropped the phone. Realising a false alarm, Miller picked up the device and said, ‘I’m sorry, dear. I’ll get DS Bennet on to screening calls to make sure no more neighbours get through. But we’ll have to expect return calls from friends and family you called. We’ll try to keep this quiet. Nosiness. Hard to combat. Sorry.’

Anna’s shoulders slumped. She knew that Miller had wanted her to let the caller speak first so that Anna didn’t give the game away to the wrong person. ‘But how did she…’

‘I’ve got an abrasive young piece of testosterone with the lady who called the police. She must have slipped away from him and got to a phone. Busybodies. I’m sorry about that, dear. Truly. I’ll have him hunting stolen cats by tomorrow.’

Just then there was a loud rapping at the front door. DS Bennet nearly broke his own neck turning his head so fast, and even the unflappable DCI jumped at the noise. But Anna didn’t even look up from the phone in the policewoman’s hands.

‘It’s not Josie and Nick,’ she said.

It was barely past 4 a.m. but, as was his way, her father had taken time to dress for the occasion in a suit under a long black coat. There was haste in his expression, though. And anger. But she didn’t need emotion on his face to know he wouldn’t be overflowing with sympathy for her, lost daughter or not.

Jane Middleton was tall and slim, similar enough to her sister that cast-off clothing from one often went to the other. Nobody had ever remarked that they looked the same, but the sisters assumed enough of a resemblance that they maintained different coloured hair. A long-ago agreement meant that when Anna decided she wanted to go blonde, Jane would have to darken. Under a denim jacket she wore a Lycra jogging outfit, since she liked to use the treadmill last thing at night and the garment had probably been crumpled by her bed when Anna called.

Already she looked not just wide awake but wired. Her eyes flickered here and there, settling on nothing, like those of someone high on drugs. Not the case, of course, because Jane had been blind since the age of three. The disorder had never dented her good nature and quest to always have fun, but right now she looked terrified. Anna hated the fact that she’d swept up her sister and dumped her into a nightmare.