‘Can you really believe that someone broke in and… what is it?’

Anna had frozen, and Jane had sensed this change in her sister’s demeanour.

‘Annie?’

‘His side of the wardrobe is full,’ Anna said, a little breathless. And a little scrambled because she added, ‘Look. None of his clothing’s gone.’

‘What do you mean? Nick’s clothes?’

Jane had approached and Anna grabbed her arm. ‘He hasn’t packed. They think he planned to run away, but he didn’t take any clothing.’ She ran Jane’s hand along the clothing hanging in the wardrobe. But before her sister could make a response, a hard knock on the door was followed by the appearance of the gangly sergeant, Bennet.

‘Nick didn’t take any clothes,’ Anna blurted at him.

‘We need to find your mobile, Mrs Carter. Immediately.’

His was a manner thus far mild and professional, so the urgency in his tone knocked all thoughts of clothing from Anna’s mind. Instinctively, she looked at the nightgown cast on the floor, then remembered she’d been using the cordless and had no idea where the mobile was. She rushed to her bedside table, but it wasn’t there, either.

‘I don’t know. Why? What’s going on?’

‘Follow me, please.’

Anna wanted her sister by her side for this, so kept hold of that hand as she was led to the cubbyhole. Miller was waiting. She indicated the computer screen.

Someone had opened MyPhone, an app that kept track of calls and text messages. Nick’s calls and messages.

‘Your man made a mobile-to-mobile call,’ Miller said. ‘Look here. USA mobile code, that. Washington, DC. America, Anna. Your Nick called America, dear. Look at the time stamp.’

‘He doesn’t know anyone in America,’ Anna said, but her mind was so scrambled she wasn’t sure if that was true. Behind, she heard her father appear and ask what was going on. Lowth, the female uniformed responder, asked him to stay back. He started to demand an answer, so Jane and then Bennet joined the party. Soon many voices were arguing, but Anna didn’t take her eyes from the screen.

Nick’s call to America: 2.35 a.m. – just twenty minutes before she discovered her husband and daughter missing.

By her side, Miller jabbed another line. ‘Texts sent by your Nick.’

Shocked, Anna saw that her own number had been sent a text. At 03.11.

Which was only a few minutes after she’d discovered Josie and Nick missing.

DS Bennet threw the duvet off the bed after checking both bedside cabinets, and he looked under the bed. But he shook his head.

‘I picked it up,’ Anna said. ‘I know I did. Maybe I put it down in the living room.’