Just eight miles separated the two calls, but they occurred two hours apart. Possibly knowing the police would assume an M1 run, the kidnappers were taking a series of smaller roads to reach their destination, resulting in a much slower journey, and they had passed from one side of the M1 to the other. This might be to avoid CCTV on major traffic lines, or because the motorway offered no escape routes in the miles between junctions. Alternate routes were being examined, of course. But there was no doubt whatever vehicle the kidnappers had, or whichever roads were being used, it was going south. Any clue why?

Nick held up a hand. ‘Wait a minute. They called the hospital, they knew we were there, so they might have been watching.’

‘Well, possibly there’s a second team, see. One with your daughter, one to watch the family.’

‘Wait a minute,’ he said again. ‘If they want money for her, she must be nearby. Close to us. Here, not in bloody Nuthall. Are you hunting the kidnappers instead of our daughter?’

‘Second team?’ Anna cut in. ‘How many people do you think are involved in…’ She tapered off and shook her head. ‘No, no, she’s here, I feel it. I’d know if she was far away. Josie is in a room somewhere, not in a vehicle, not driving away. She’s here, she’s close to me. You don’t know anything yet. It’s all guessing. And you’re wrong. You need to search all of Brinsworth.’

She got up to leave. Nick reached for her, and she let him take her arm. But just for a moment, and then she said, ‘I want to see my sister.’

When she was gone, Nick hung his head. ‘There was a time when it was me she turned to. Now I’m no good for her. For anyone.’

The detective leaned past him to tap keys. ‘Try not to let paranoia get you, my friend. But this is actually the main reason I wanted you in here. I didn’t want your wife to see this.’

Nick sat up straight when he saw another CCTV image. But this one had a ‘PLAY’ symbol: it was video.

‘I know you blame yourself,’ she said. ‘I want to prove that you shouldn’t, my friend. Do you think you can watch this?’

He didn’t want to see it. But he needed to.

It was CCTV covering his backyard, and he knew it was going to show Josie’s kidnap.