Rob isn’t buying her answer. ‘Why did she tell me to ask you about it? And why did she mention the police?’ His voice is calm, considering the bomb Sienna has just detonated.

Abby shakes her head, feigning shock. ‘I’ve been really worried about her, Rob. I don’t think she’s handling Greg leaving very well.’

Rob frowns, but it’s confusion more than disbelief. ‘That’s strange. She seemed fine yesterday morning when she was here. I know she thinks he’s missing but… this is just weird. Why would she turn up in the middle of the night like that?’

Abby’s ashamed of how easily she provides him with a plausible explanation. They’d had a disagreement after Rob had left for work, she explains. ‘She said I wasn’t being supportive, and that she knows I don’t believe Greg is missing. She accused me of helping him to leave her.’ The words lodge themselves in her throat.

‘That’s ridiculous. You’d never do something like that.’

Although this is true, Abby can’t bear to listen to Rob defending her; she doesn’t deserve it. ‘I’m so tired. Can we just go back to bed and deal with this in the morning?’ What Abby really wants to do is grab hold of him and pull him into her, tell him everything will be fine as long as they both want it to be. She doesn’t, though. It would only make things worse in the long run.

Rob nods. ‘Okay.’

They’re halfway up the stairs when he stops. ‘Actually, I might just have a decaf coffee. I’m wide awake now. I’ll be up in a bit.’

This is when Abby knows she’s about to sink.

Despite coming to bed so late, Rob is up before her the next morning, staring at his untouched bowl of muesli. ‘Hey,’ he says. ‘Did you sleep okay?’

‘Not really. You?’

‘I had about an hour in the end, after, you know… Sienna.’

‘It’s horrible, isn’t it? She must be feeling really lost right now.’ In saying this, Abby isn’t lying; she still feels compassion for Sienna. The woman is in pain and lashing out; of course, she’s choosing to take it out on Abby. Greg’s not here, so all she’s left with is unanswered questions. And now, Abby needs to find out exactly what Sienna knows, and why she hasn’t come out with it to Rob. She has something else planned, that’s the only reason she’s kept quiet, only dropped hints. And underlying this is the question of how Sienna found out.

Sienna’s declaration about going to the police surprises her, and Abby stews over this, only coming up with one answer that makes any sense: Sienna believes Abby has something to do with Greg’s disappearance.