‘Maybe she decided to move away for reasons we don’t yet know? Either way, if she’d decided to run off, she could be miles away by now,’ Emerson says.

I look at Emerson. ‘How? There are no buses through here.’

‘A friend could have picked her up. Or she could have walked and caught a bus.’

I shake my head. ‘It doesn’t seem that she had any close friends. And it’s too cold for her to have walked far. My guess is she’s still around here somewhere. But we should check out the buses. Can you get the DI on the phone?’ Pulling over in a lay-by, I’m silent as he dials.

I take Emerson’s phone, waiting for the DI to answer. ‘Sir? Nothing yet. I think it’s likely she’s still somewhere around here – otherwise one of the villagers would have seen her – and it’s probably a long shot, but we need to check out which buses come near Abingworth.’

‘I’ll get someone to check. Have you said anything to the Hamptons about a press release?’

‘Not yet.’ It’s a fine line to tread, gauging whether it would turn anything up, because once the news is out that a teenage girl has disappeared, the press will be all over the village.

‘Maybe have a word? If we don’t find anything soon, we need to get on it.’

‘Yes, sir.’

Switching off the phone, I turn to Emerson and notice the footpath marked a little ahead of the car, where a sign points to the church. I nod towards it. ‘The village church. Shall we take a look?’

Getting out, Emerson turns up the collar of his coat as I lock the car, then do the same. The air is sharp, the path frozen as we make our way along it towards the churchyard. As the trees open out, ahead of us the headstones are grey against the white of the frost.

The church is small, dating back about eight hundred years according to a small metal plaque, with a narrow tower in which a single bell hangs. I try the door, surprised when I find it unlocked, but a search of the sparse interior yields nothing. Closing the door behind me as we exit, we’ve started walking back towards the car when my phone buzzes.

‘May.’ As the voice at the other end speaks, the blood drains from my face.

I turn to Emerson. ‘They’ve found her.’

*

To get to Park House on the opposite edge of the village, we double back past the Buckleys’ house before taking a right turn into Greyfriars Lane. Almost immediately, a police car comes into view parked up ahead. After pulling over behind it, we get out.