Mum muttered something Marie couldn’t hear.

‘He’s not accountable for the current market. Even if clients aren’t dipping their hands into their pockets for products, they will pay for a story that pulls at the heartstrings.’

‘And he’d know it’s all fake?’

‘God, no. The fewer people who know the truth, the less room there is for error. Besides, we want him to feel frightened for our family unit. Fear is a great motivator. He’s very fond of us, you know, and despite the dip in profits these past couple of years, he is very good at what he does. Potentially, if we hit it hard, I’d expect to raise an easy seven figures worldwide.’

‘And that would be ours? No questions asked?’

‘It’s feasible it would go on our living expenses while the search is on and that could cover a multitude of sins. If we stretched the time we could form a charity and—’

‘Absolutely not. A couple of days, you said.’

‘A week, tops.’

‘That’s too long—’

‘There’ll be no risk. No danger. I promise. Afterwards there’ll be a big reunion piece and we can sell photos of the first time we’re all together again, and for future anniversaries, milestones. Literally everything in the press is staged. There’ll also be interviews. Chat shows. How do you fancy sitting on the sofa on that breakfast TV show you love?’

‘It’s all a lie. I don’t know if I can—’

‘You can. For me.’

‘But what about the logistics? How would it happen? When?’

‘You leave that to me. The less you know, the better. When you stand in front of the camera and plead directly to the abductor, I want the shock on your face to be genuine. The more the public root for you, the more they’ll feel inclined to donate.’

‘What if it backfires?’

‘It won’t. It’s foolproof. I’m surprised no other families have done this. I’m sure in years to come they will. I’ve planned it so meticulously nothing can go wrong. We’ll be back on our feet financially. I know it’s a disruption for the girls but a few days is better than ripping their lives apart long-term. They won’t have to change to state schools or live on a rough estate where they’d probably end up on drugs. I know it seems extreme but I’ve given it so much thought. We can go to Florida afterwards, make it up to them. Even have family therapy if you feel it’s needed, but I genuinely believe they’ll be fine. They’re young. In time they’ll forget it ever happened. It will be just one small event in their long and happy lives.’

‘You think?’

‘I know. Trust me.’

‘I do,’ said her mum but Marie wasn’t sure who she trusted any more. She sank to the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks. Although she didn’t know what her dad had planned, she knew it was bad, very bad indeed – and she was the only one who knew.