In the distance I hear Burke telling Kenny he did well, just to hang in there and we’ll find her. He did well, is that woman for real? Kenny is the whole reason we are in this mess, he’s not an innocent victim here, he lied about how long ago he contacted Amber. He made her lie about meeting up all the time. It’s now two hours since Amber was supposed to be home from the party and he’s only telling us what Joyce said now.

Angela Burke goes to the hallway talking on the gadget in her hand. When I take my head out of the bucket, I notice Sarah still here with her mother, standing in the corner of the room. She is answering questions the quiet cop is asking about Amber’s friends. Who she knows. Who else does she hang with?

When he’s finished, Sarah and her mother fall into silence.

‘If there’s anything else you think of, Sarah?’ I say, wiping my mouth as I walk over to them.

The kid is scared and there’s nothing more they can help us with so I tell them to go home now, to contact me if Sarah thinks of anything, no matter how small, that Amber might have said or done in the last couple of weeks that was strange.

Sarah’s mother gives me another hug. This time I hug her back, the heat from her body soothing my nerves, putting my panic on pause for a brief moment. I don’t want to let go. If I let go, I have to deal with this nightmare.

Eventually I pull away and thank Sarah for coming and talking to us. She’ll never forget her fifteenth birthday, poor kid. Huddled into her mother’s side Sarah walks out the driveway, both a little more appreciative of what they have.

Burke continues to question Kenny. They’ve sent a car over to the hotel that Joyce is supposed to be staying in. The car isn’t there yet.

‘I’m going to look for her. Tom?’

His eyes are red with fear. He grabs my arm. ‘Sally, we don’t know where to look for her.’

‘She’s not here.’ My voice soars across the room filling the space with desperation. I’m frantic. I can’t help it. Amber is missing. I move towards the door. Tom follows. Glancing down at the boy on the sofa, I see a stranger, a liar. His head bent down, afraid to look at me.

Out in the hallway, I remember Donna is in the kitchen. She must be telepathic. She opens the door before I get to it. ‘Don’t let him out of your sight,’ I whisper.

Donna winks at me before pushing me out the kitchen door. ‘Go find your baby, I’ll hold the fort here.’

Chapter Forty-Three