I pick a small café in town and order myself an espresso. There is a local newspaper on the next table; well-worn with the crosswords already filled in. I grab it and scan it for information about the body they found but there’s no mention of it. When the waitress brings me my coffee I try to act as normal as I can manage.

‘Is there any news about what they found up in the woods? Was it that girl?’

‘I’m sorry. They haven’t said anything yet. Might be on the telly news this afternoon. Things move slowly round here. Paper only comes out once a week.’

‘Thank you.’

I think about going up to the Spar where Mandy Green’s mother works again, but it feels a bit intrusive. I lived all this before, but where I was just visiting ghosts this was really happening for her and I needed to keep that in mind. It wasn’t all about me. And besides, I might be completely mistaken about what I think is happening, inserting my own bias into everything. I have to find out what’s going on. Like the lady said, everything moves at a snail’s pace around here.

I pull out my phone and look up a picture of Mandy Green online. Have you seen this girl? She looks a bit like Hannah. Is that why she was taken? Is that the connection? Long brown hair and definitely from a certain demographic, a little goth-y, a little angry looking, the kind of girl whose absence might take a little longer to notice and report.

The girl who served me my coffee comes back over to the table. I expect her to ask me if everything is all right with my order, because that’s what they always ask, but she doesn’t. She slides into the chair opposite me and leans forward, making sure no one else can hear, possibly not wishing to risk disturbing the other customers.

‘It wasn’t her in the woods. It wasn’t Mandy.’

‘How do you know?’ I say, relieved for the most part but also confused. Who could it be?

‘It was just on the radio. They said it was a false alarm.’

‘Do you know her?’ I ask, realising they must be a similar age.

‘A bit. Not really,’ she says. I feel relieved.

‘So, it was a false alarm. They didn’t find a body?’

‘Oh, they found a body, it just wasn’t Mandy’s.’

‘It wasn’t? Did they say who they think it is?’ I ask, not sure if I am ready to hear whatever she is about to say.

‘No, but apparently it had been there for years.’