Hot and tired after her exertions, Catriona surveys the room. It’s actually starting to look a little better in here now the beds are made up. Tomorrow she can really get to work on the rest of the flat – open some windows, let the air in, check out the neighbourhood. She might even treat herself to some fresh flowers.

She pops back into the lounge to check on Grace. She’s fallen asleep on the sofa, the empty packet of rice cakes rising and falling on her chest as she breathes. Poor lamb is tired out. Catriona moves the packet aside and carries Grace into the bedroom. She gently lays her on her bed, changes her into her pyjamas and covers her over with the duvet.

Now that Grace is asleep, Catriona is tempted to do what she always does in the evenings now – go on her phone and see if there are any updated news stories about the missing girl and her parents. It’s become a bit of an obsession – finding out everything she can about them. The parents’ names are Rachel and Andrew and the daughter’s name is Holly.

Back in London, the mother was on the local news several times putting out appeals for the return of her daughter. She was very vocal and very visibly upset. The father was quieter. Less emotional. The couple didn’t seem close at all. Their body language was stiff. Almost hostile. Or maybe Catriona imagined that part.

Apparently, the father was in Spain working at the time of the abduction. The local media hinted that he might have been behind the whole thing – especially as he just flew back there this week. But he hasn’t been arrested or named as a suspect. They also said that he’s got another woman over there. That he abandoned Rachel to be with this Spanish woman. Of course, it’s all speculation.

Other news stories have implied that it could have been the mother, Rachel, who arranged the whole abduction. People can be so cruel. So vicious. So uncaring. The truth is, the public don’t have a clue what really happened – they just go by what the papers tell them, titillating stories made up to cause outrage or pity. Catriona can’t help wondering what it must be like for Rachel. How she’s coping. She has a baby daughter called Jessica, so that must keep her going. Catriona doesn’t know what she would do if anything happened to Grace. It doesn’t bear thinking about. She pushes away the image of the bathwater… of the churchyard back in London with its freshly turned earth. She swallows down bile.

‘Mummy?’ Grace has opened her eyes and is staring around in panic at her unfamiliar surroundings.