‘Sharon, I need a bit more, OK. What’s going on? Are you at home?’

‘He’s gone … I didn’t listen, he was just going round the block, someone took him!’

‘Sharon, where are you? You’re not making any sense. I’ll come to you. Tell me where you are.’

‘At home. But I need to go, I need to go to Callie!’ Her voice was back to a wail. Joel wasn’t going to get anything more from her over the phone.

‘I’ll be right there.’

He turned back towards the house. DS Rose had already joined him outside. ‘Everything OK?’ she said.

‘We need to go. Sharon Evans is at home but something’s going on. She said her son’s been taken.’

‘OK. What about here?’

‘The team are bringing Hennershaw in. Child Protection can take it from here. I think we’re going to be needed elsewhere.’

Chapter 54

DS Rose had called ahead while Joel drove. Access to the Evans family home was already obstructed by two marked police cars parked untidily across the drive. Joel was happy the reaction had been so fast. If someone really had taken Jamie Evans, an immediate and resource-intensive reaction would give the best odds of finding him. He also knew how quickly those odds shrank after the first hour of searching.

Joel and DS Rose’s arrival prompted the patrol sergeant to give an immediate briefing. He appeared to be the only officer in the house.

‘We’ve searched the house but only for persons. Negative. The mother said her son walked out the gate at the back of the house to go round the block with the dog, something he does every day. My officers are out on foot in that area. I’ve got more patrols coming, I called up for anyone with a car and a pair of eyes and I’ll be sending them out to bang on doors, search gardens, roam the streets … everything we’d normally do. We got a few numbers for friends that he hangs round with, and I was just calling them to see if he’s there, but … well, I don’t think he is, sir.’

‘What makes you say that?’ Joel could tell there was something more.

‘We found the dog. He was dragging his lead behind him. The mother said she received a threat.’ He broke off, ducking out of the hall where they had gathered, to retrieve something. It was a piece of paper already sealed in a police evidence bag. Joel flipped it over. He felt DS Rose push in close to him to see.

‘Jesus!’ Joel said at the image of the Evans family – three of the four crossed out – that stared back up at him. ‘“Time’s up”? The daughter.’