He started to lead her across the road, his grip hard but useless because she actually got to the other side before him. Every step was one closer to Josie. He reached out to open the back door of his car, but her hand got there first. If he was planning to force her down on to the floor, no need. She assumed the position. His feet lay on her back. The car was on the move two seconds later.

‘It’s a disk,’ he said. Dominic told him to not worry about it. ‘But what’s on it?’ That would be worrying about it, and I told you not to. ‘Must be the unreleased new Star Wars film for them to want it this bad.’ Let’s pretend it is. Just keep it safe.

The car turned this way and that, deep in winding streets, probably reversing the route they had taken to get here. Thirty seconds, maybe forty. Closer and closer to Josie. She could smell her scent on the pyjamas still.

‘We didn’t come this way,’ Ball Cap said.

‘It’s fine.’

‘You look puzzled, pal. Want me to drive?’

‘It’s fine. Just watch the countess.’

After another turn, the car made a sharp stop.

‘Are we lost?’ Ball Cap said.

‘This’ll do,’ Dominic said.

‘This’ll do?’

‘This is it, I meant.’

And right there she realised something was badly wrong. She struggled upright, on to the seat. Ball Cap was otherwise engaged and didn’t resist when she got away from his feet. She saw that they were at the end of a narrow road, a row of white garages on the left and a blue townhouse on the right, all overshadowed by taller buildings. But she focussed on what lay ahead: a chain-link fence at the end of the road, beyond which the land tumbled away.

‘So where’s the kid?’ Ball Cap said.

‘Where’s my daughter?’

‘Don’t know, don’t care,’ Dominic said. He turned in his seat and stared at her. One hand held a knife, but it was the other she couldn’t get her eyes off. It fingered the necklace he had no business being within a thousand miles of. ‘Sorry, but we can’t let you go. You might tell the police after all.’

The shock numbed her. ‘My daughter,’ was all she could manage.

‘Your kid’s seen our faces. Ten years from now, some police hypnotist will get a decent photofit out of her and we’ll all be doomed. Sorry. But I’ve gotta make sure she doesn’t do that.’

‘This wasn’t the plan,’ Ball Cap said. ‘We got what we needed. If the kid’s not here, just kick her out and let’s be on our way. She can’t tell the cops anything about us.’