Amy’s face softened. ‘Look,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry he’s disappeared, I am, and I hope he’s OK. But it’s not like we kept in touch. I don’t exactly have great memories of my relationship with Luke.’

Clara looked at her in surprise. ‘Really?’

The other woman stared at her for a moment, and then she turned decisively away, her face closed again. ‘I don’t want to talk about all that, to be honest. And like I said to the police, there’s nothing I could tell you that would bring you any closer to finding Luke. I don’t know anything.’

Clara’s despair hit as if from nowhere, like a bus slamming into her at full speed. After the shock of him vanishing, the news about Sadie, the ridiculous hope she had felt to be finally doing something proactive, she realized now how stupid she had been, how pointless it all was. She sank down on to a rickety garden chair and put her head in her hands.

‘You all right?’ Amy’s voice was suddenly near.

She looked up. ‘Sorry, I’m sorry. We’ll leave you in peace. I don’t know what I’m even doing here, to be honest. You must think we’re mad.’

Amy sighed and sat down next to her. She thought for a moment, then rolled herself another cigarette. ‘You want to find out what he was really like back then? Behind his perfect image, I mean?’ Clara glanced at her in surprise to hear the note of bitterness in her voice. ‘Well, look, I expect he’s changed by now, grown up a bit, but OK. I’m not sure it’ll help but I’ll tell you, if you really want me to. But come on now, stop crying.’

Clara nodded and wiped her eyes. ‘Thank you,’ she said.

Amy sighed. ‘I got pregnant when I was sixteen and he dumped me, leaving me to have the abortion on my own. I was quite far along in the pregnancy when I realized and the whole thing was horrendous. I was devastated.’

Clara stared at her in shock. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she faltered. ‘I had no idea.’

Amy shrugged.

‘Did anyone else know about it?’ Clara asked.