As if she could read his mind Sunday suddenly told him, ‘George, why don’t you try to get some rest? You’ve been out searching with the police since late afternoon and you look exhausted. And, George, please don’t get thinking any of this is your fault. What happened to you could have happened to any one of us.’

Kathy raised her streaming eyes to nod her agreement. ‘She’s right, George. I couldn’t have gone back to work if it weren’t for you agreeing to meet the children from school each day for me, and any one of us could have been delayed getting there, so please don’t blame yourself. Ben was clearly just biding his time to grab them. In fact, I wouldn’t mind betting he’s the “nice man” they spoke of that has been hanging around the school giving them sweets and getting them to trust him. If only I’d put two and two together, I could have put a stop to it, so if anyone’s to blame it’s me.’

‘No, it isn’t,’ Sunday told her sharply. ‘It isn’t anyone’s fault but Ben’s. He’s always had a chip on his shoulder the size of a house brick. He seems to think he’s the only one who’s ever lost someone he loves – I can’t make excuses for him anymore, so let’s hear no more of who’s to blame. There’s absolutely nothing more we can do tonight, and it’s been a very long day, so I suggest we all try to get some sleep so that we’re fresh for tomorrow.’

Cissie and George took their leave to return to their little cottage and Edith and Cook retired too, leaving Sunday and Kathy sitting by the fire.

‘I can’t believe you’ve kept this secret from me all this time,’ Sunday said brokenly. ‘Didn’t you trust me enough to tell me?’

‘It wasn’t that; I just thought because Ben and I had been brought up in this house together that you’d disapprove.’

‘Well, if I’m honest I suppose I would have found it hard to come to terms with – he is so much older than you that it would never have occurred to me that you’d ever look at him that way,’ Sunday admitted. ‘But then you aren’t blood related, so you were doing nothing wrong. Come along, I think we should go up now too. Tomorrow is another day and who knows what it might bring.’

Arm in arm they climbed the stairs although neither of them managed to sleep a wink for worrying about the missing children.