Tom comes out to the hallway when he realizes I’ve arrived. ‘Sal, Jesus, Sal.’ He rushes to me, pulling me into his grip. ‘We’ll find her.’

He doesn’t have to tell me that. I won’t entertain any other outcome. We will find Amber and she will be safe.

Angela Burke is holding court by the fireplace. They came as soon as Tom rang the number on the card because of Joyce McCarthy, the woman who had been stalking our home. The woman they let out of custody.

Her partner stands sheepishly by her side. The house feels empty, something is missing. Amber.

‘How are the boys?’

‘I just checked on them, they’re asleep, they don’t know anything is going on.’

My fingers struggle to press the contact on my phone. ‘Answer, please answer.’ Nothing. ‘Why isn’t she answering, Tom, she never has that phone out of her hand.’ He shakes his head, tears gather in his eyes as he drags in air, breath after laboured breath.

Behind me Kenny sits on the sofa. His pale face, nervous, his hands gripped together between his knees like he’s secretly having a word with God. His eyes avoid contact with mine when I turn around to face him.

‘Do you know where she is?’ I say, taking a step closer to him.

He shrugs his shoulders, shakes his head, looks at the floor.

‘Sally, no one knows where she is at the moment but we will find her.’ Burke moves over to my side and puts her hand on my shoulder.

‘Well, she isn’t here,’ I say shrugging her off. ‘What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be out looking for her?’

‘There’s a car combing the area, Sally, we’re here trying to find out her last movements… figure out where she could be.’

‘She was at Sarah’s party.’ I don’t recognize my high-pitched voice, the words barely making it out of my mouth.

‘She didn’t arrive at the party,’ Tom says, putting his arm around my shoulder again. Why does everyone think I need them to touch me. I push him away too. Then fear digs deeper. ‘What are you talking about, Tom? You dropped her to the party. How did she not get there?’

‘That’s the thing…’

Oh sweet Jesus, I do not believe what he just said. Amber changed the plan, said she was meeting her friends at the corner so she didn’t need Tom to drop her there. So Big Bad Fucking Tom just let her go, even though I’d been adamant that he was to bring her.

Expecting that man to perform is like running a fucking puppet show. If I’m not here with my hand up his rear end, conducting his every move, he flops.

There’s no point in confronting him now, time is too precious, no room for anger, we have to find my girl.