There was another reason why Naomi had made contact with Joanne Thomas, the owner of JoJo’s Coffee & Cakes – she was the one who had called the police when the Harper family disappeared. But Ed didn’t need to know that – not yet.

‘That was quick work.’ Ed pressed his brakes to allow a pedestrian to cross the road. He raised his hand to wave, but the bent-up pensioner delivered a steely glare. ‘Clearly not a fan,’ Ed chuckled before moving on.

Outwardly, the village of Nighbrook looked pretty, with clean streets and potted plants outside each shop. There was no graffiti, and no homeless stragglers down on their luck. Each building was neatly whitewashed, its windows spotlessly clean. But while it was pretty on the outside, the vibes from the villagers made Naomi shift in her seat. She hadn’t stopped to explore when she’d been here last. She was too taken with Ivy Cottage to pay any heed. But now, in the glare of the dying January sunshine, something seemed off.

Ed’s voice grew to a crescendo as he sang along to an old Madness song about ‘our house’ on the radio. If there was something to worry about, he hadn’t picked up on it. She joined in with the tune, determined to lift her spirits. She was being silly, that was all. What she knew about the village coloured her perspective. That was why its inhabitants were so guarded. Years had passed since the Harper family’s disappearance. The villagers would accept her in time. Especially when I solve the mystery, she thought, enjoying the singalong as Ed followed the satnav down the winding road.

‘We’re almost there,’ he said cheerfully, after Naomi instructed him to turn left. By now, the satnav had lost signal due to the looming trees overhead. The intermittent Wi-Fi was something she had yet to broach with Morgan. Not today, though. The girl despised her enough as it was. She could feel her gaze drilling into the back of her head. Naomi’s eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror, which confirmed Morgan’s narrow-eyed stare. The strength of the girl’s hatred unnerved her. The nearer they got to Ivy Cottage, the more it intensified.

But it wasn’t without reason. Morgan’s mum Harmony had gone on holiday and had never come back – at least, not as herself. She had always been too much of a free spirit to give her daughter a proper home. Overnight, Naomi was a stepmother to a teenage girl. If looks could kill, though . . . she’d be lying in a morgue with a tag around her toe.