Because she saw the empty conviction in his eyes? Whatever, she was shaking her head. ‘She was taken from her bedroom. This was planned. And you’re right, we don’t have money. Father does. But I don’t get it. Why not take me or take Jane? Why a little girl from her bedroom? Anyone could have got to me out on the street. Much easier.’

Because subterfuge was unnecessary now, he felt all the anger coming back. ‘Big, fully grown adults? Harder to control, more likely to escape or remember faces. Josie is five and they can manipulate her more. And she’s smaller, so there’s not such a big hole to dig to bury—’

She yanked her hand away from his with force and tense fingers, so that her nails clawed him. ‘Don’t say that! Josie is coming home to me today. Understand?’

He rubbed his uncontrollable head and nodded. But he still wanted to rage. He wanted to smash something. He’d never had a child kidnapped before, so maybe this was a natural reaction. Maybe it was just the drug. Maybe he felt impotent, unable to help his daughter from this hospital bed. Maybe this was all a damn nightmare and he’d wake the night before he nearly killed a pal with a stone pipe.

He closed his eyes to lock in tears he felt trying to escape. He would rest his brain, settle his mind, hope that both would reorient soon. He expected Anna to get off the bed and leave, but she remained there. And her hand found his again. That was the woman he loved, he remembered: she of bottomless compassion, who despite being absolutely overwhelmed with grief for Josie, had still found room to think about tending to her husband.

He squeezed back hard, and decided he would unleash building rage and hate no more. He would save and store every ounce that knit inside him, and gift wrap it for the man who had Josie.

When the door opened and Miller walked in, Anna realised she’d lost track of time while gripped by terrible thoughts. A glance at the clock showed only seven or eight minutes had passed. Nick was asleep.

‘Anna, dear, it’s time to leave. The consultant, though, he wants your man to agree to see an addiction psychiatrist before we leave.’

Addiction psychiatrist? Anna realised Miller must have spun a lie to the A&E staff, or just refused to explain how Nick had overdosed and why he had such a big and official entourage. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

‘He’s okay to leave? They said that?’ She looked at him. He seemed at peace and she hoped the sleep would clear his head. ‘He won’t have a… a relapse or whatever?’