As she sipped her tea, Sarah bit back her smile. She could have told her about Yvonne’s condescension this morning but decided to hold her tongue. One stirrer in the office was enough.

‘I shouldn’t have said that,’ Gabby quickly followed up, her professionalism winning through as ever. ‘Yvonne’s doing her best. It’s just frustrating …’ Her gaze roamed to the window. ‘I don’t have a right to sit here in the warmth, not while Jahmelia is out there.’ The low drone of a cello vibrated through the walls, and Gabby rolled her eyes in response. ‘That’s George. He practises for two hours every day.’ She sighed wearily. ‘It doesn’t usually bother me because I’m always at work.’

‘Jahmelia’s still alive,’ Sarah blurted out, leaning forward, cradling her cup. ‘That’s what Elliott told me.’

‘Did you get anything else out of him?’ Gabby didn’t seem encouraged by the news, probably because she didn’t have faith in Elliott’s insights.

‘Only that she’s somewhere dark and cold, that smells bad. She’s not in Blackhall Manor. Police have scanned every inch of that place.’ Thermal imaging was quicker than physically ripping down the walls.

The cello practice continued. The musician was obviously talented, and the sweeping sounds were a comforting backdrop to their words.

‘They’ve checked every derelict building in Slayton,’ Gabby replied. ‘They’re drafting in extra teams to widen the search.’

Sarah’s eyes flicked to the windows as shards of rain pelted the glass. The inclement weather would not help the search. ‘She could be in Christian Abraham’s car. He reported it stolen after Angelica disappeared.’

‘Bernard said they’re planning on bringing him in.’ Gabby’s brown eyes searched Sarah’s face for answers. ‘You’ve met him. Do you think he’s capable of something like this?’

‘Maybe,’ Sarah said, feeling a surge of pity for the woman before her. ‘But it’s not sitting right with me. He found Libby. He called the police.’ She rested her cup on a pile of books next to her feet. ‘Angelica was his half-sister … Why would he want to hurt her? His father’s supporting him financially. It doesn’t make sense.’

‘I hope it was him,’ Gabby replied. ‘Unless Christian talks, we’ll never find Jahmelia. The game stops here.’