Fear, uncertainty, and dread hang in the air, just as they did the last time I worked on a similar case, where every question, every phone call, had the potential to reveal a truth no-one wanted to hear.

Getting up, she goes over to her husband, resting a hand on one of his shoulders as she turns towards me. ‘Can I make you all a cup of tea?’

‘Yes, please.’ Her offer will keep them out of the room so that we can talk openly. As they leave, I turn to Sarah Collins. ‘Tell me what you’ve got.’

She glances at her notes. ‘Not much. Hollie was last here two days ago – on Tuesday. Her parents – actually, it’s worth mentioning that Mrs Hampton is her stepmother – anyway, they both say it isn’t unheard of for Hollie to disappear for a night without telling them, but she’s never been gone for longer than that. Also, they’ve always been able to get hold of her at some point by phone, but this time, they haven’t been able to.’

‘You have Hollie’s mobile number?’

Sarah Collins nods. ‘We’re already checking it out.’

‘What about her birth mother?’

‘She died eight years ago.’ Sarah pauses. ‘We also have the contact details for her school. According to Hollie’s father, they called him recently. Apparently she’s missed quite a few days, but he seems to think it wasn’t anything unusual. We’ve also got the details for her friend, Niamh Buckley, and Niamh’s mother, Elise. Mr Hampton called around to see them earlier. We need to check with Hollie’s school, but apart from her parents, it’s possible that Niamh was the last person to see Hollie.’

A sinking feeling fills me as I look at her. We really are starting with nothing. ‘Is there anything else I should know?’

As Sarah shakes her head, I know that in this extreme cold, too much time has already gone by. ‘I’ll go and talk to her parents.’

Just then, the Hamptons come back in with a tray of mugs. ‘Thank you.’ I take one. ‘Shall we sit down?’ I pause. ‘If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you about Hollie.’

Mrs Hampton’s face is white as a sheet, tears tracing trails through her makeup. Her hands are shaking as she places the tray on the coffee table.

While they pull up chairs, I get out my electronic notebook. Looking up at them, I do my best to be reassuring. ‘We’ll be starting a search at dawn tomorrow. It’ll be centred on the village, but we’ll continue to widen the search area until we find her. Unless there’s anywhere specific you think she might be?’

When they both shake their heads, I go on. ‘Can you tell me about Hollie? And do you have a photograph I could take?’