One thing she knew she could do now was focus completely on her father, to try and spend as much time with him as possible before he was gone forever. The past few days had been so hectic, what with her coming in here to check on Frank, plus all the follow-ups she’d had to do at work, that she just hadn’t had time to go and see him.

Just as she was contemplating the best time to go down to Sydenham the next day to visit him in the hospice, her phone rang. She recognised the ringtone as that of her undercover phone. She’d retrieved it from Dale’s body after Rick had called him on it, answering the phone with a certain amount of relish to let him know that Dale was dead. She was still carrying it around with her now on the off-chance that the number might yield some residual value in relation to the aborted Molloy operation.

Taking it out, she saw that it said ‘No caller ID’. A premonitory feeling of dread rippled through her. She answered it.

Her heart sank as that familiar husky smoker’s voice emanated from the handset.

‘Bailey Morgan,’ said Nancy, using her real name. ‘How are you?’

Bailey didn’t answer. She knew Nancy didn’t care anyway. By the smug tone in Nancy’s voice, Bailey had the nasty feeling this was a prologue to something deeply unpleasant.

Nancy continued, ‘I feel like we didn’t get a chance to say goodbye properly the last time we met. So I’m giving you a second opportunity.’

A second opportunity? What was she going on about? The speculations raced through Bailey’s mind. Whatever this was, she knew it wasn’t good.

‘What are you talking about?’ asked Bailey.

‘Oh…’ said Nancy, affecting a light wistful tone. ‘I miss all those little conversations we had. The ones about… your sister for example.’

A vice of anxiety clamped tight across Bailey’s chest. Please no…

‘Yes…’ continued Nancy in that fake airy voice. ‘All those things you told me about Jennifer. They were very interesting. And I do have such a memory for detail.’

Bailey swallowed. She said nothing, hoping against everything not to have to hear exactly the thing she was dreading.

Nancy carried on, a spiteful zest in her voice. ‘And when I found that necklace in your handbag, I put two and two together.’

Shit. The necklace. Bailey had forgotten all about that.

She realised now, too late, that she’d underestimated just how astute Nancy Molloy really was. It hit her with a crushing horror what a massive mistake she’d made in revealing those supposedly harmless childhood details to someone as cunning and evil as Nancy Molloy.

But wait a minute… maybe it was okay. Even if they did know that Mister Snigiss was Jennifer, it didn’t mean they’d actually located her. Yet. Maybe Bailey could somehow get in touch with her sister and warn her.

‘I understand now, of course, why you were protecting Mister Snigiss,’ said Nancy. ‘I would have done the same in your shoes. Sadly, though, it wasn’t enough to stop me. Because, as you probably know by now, once I get fixated on something, I just don’t give up until I’ve got my way. And now I’ve got your sister right where I want her. At my feet. And unless you want me to kill her right now, you’ll do exactly what I say.’