Joe was quickly joined by others who had heard the commotion and wanted to help. ‘Is there anything I can do?’ asked the customer who had stood open-mouthed as the drama unfurled. ‘I used to keep a stall meself some time back, when I were younger, and you’ve customers waiting.’

Relieved, Aggie beckoned her round. ‘By! Yer a blessing in disguise,’ she said gratefully. ‘But didn’t I hear you telling Joe you were in a hurry?’

‘Not now, I’m not,’ came the reply. ‘There’s more important things in life, gal, and if there’s a child missing, the old man can get his own bleedin’ tea.’ With that, she took off her hat and coat and set to.

All evening they searched, and well into the early hours, but there was no sign of Ruthie. ‘Tell the authorities,’ one of the helpers said. ‘Some do-gooder might have marched her off to the police station.’

‘Aye, it’s worth a try,’ another said. ‘The lass might have got frightened in the dark and found her own way there.’

At the police station the constable was unsympathetic. ‘Lasses go missing all the time,’ he said wearily. ‘Usually it’s a family row or summat o’ that sort.’ He peered at Bridget. ‘You haven’t had a fall-out among yourselves, have you? You didn’t throw the lass out, and now you’ve come to regret it?’

‘No! Find her, that’s all I want. Please, just find her.’

‘Not easy, but give me the details anyway.’

It seemed to take an infuriatingly long time; Bridget had to go over everything again and again. ‘Ruthie’s been lonely,’ she told the constable. ‘Her friend went away and she were pining. We haven’t heard from ’em and now she’s gone looking, but they could be anywhere. There are bad people out there, and I’m frightened for her.’

‘Aye, and summat as pretty as yourself shouldn’t be wandering the streets neither, especially at this time of a morning.’ Close to retirement, the constable had a daughter much the same age as Bridget. ‘You look washed out, lass. Go home. Get some sleep and start again tomorrow.’

‘Please, you will do everything you can to find her, won’t you?’

He nodded. ‘You’ve given me all the details we might need,’ he assured her. ‘If there’s anything else I think of, we’ll be in touch. Now go on, lass, get some sleep. You’ll be no good to your girl nor anybody else if you can’t think straight.’

Bridget knew that what the constable had said made sense but it didn’t help her to come to terms with Ruthie running off like that. ‘Why would she do that? Summat were eating away at the lass, not just me and Bob getting wed, but summat else. Oh, I wish to God I knew what it was.’

Taking the longest route home, Bridget scoured every alley, hurrying past dead cats and drunks and brazen floozies who offered themselves for a tanner. The only thing on her mind was her child, all alone in such a world. Time and again, she called out Ruthie’s name, and a few heartless mischief-makers mimicked her as she passed. Others gave their sympathy. ‘She’ll come running ’ome soon as ever she’s ’ungry,’ one painted creature promised, while another made her want to weep when she snarled, ‘Serves yer right, lady. You should never have let her out o’ yer sight.’