She leaned forward, her ear close to the radio, willing it to reveal their current situation. It crackled.

‘Upstairs bedroom to the left, empty and secure.’

They’d managed to escape, despite the speedy response. Joanne was gone.

‘Upstairs bedroom to the right, empty and secure,’ came another voice, and she gave up hope.

‘Bathroom, empty and secure.’

‘Carla?’ Nell’s voice echoed into the office.

Carla pressed the response button. ‘Go ahead.’

‘The house is empty. I need you to give us another viable alternative.’

Bremer held up his hand to indicate she shouldn’t respond.

‘Stand by,’ Carla said into the radio, looking to Bremer.

‘Call Gerry,’ he said.

‘Gerry?’

‘When I told him we were concerned about Eve he went white as a sheet. Wherever he’s gone now, it’s to find her, and wherever she is, Mary and Joanne will be.’

‘But why would he tell us?’ He’s lied so much already, she wanted to add, but couldn’t bring herself to betray him so openly.

‘It’s worth a go.’ He picked up the radio as she reached for the phone. ‘Nell, Paul, stand by. We’re looking at other possibilities.’

Gerry’s phone rang until Carla thought it would go to answerphone, then:

‘Hello?’

‘Gerry, it’s Carla. We’re worried about Eve. Do you know where she is?’

‘I’m at our house now,’ he sounded out of breath, ‘but no one’s here.’

‘Is there anywhere else she may have gone? Anywhere you can think of?’ The briefest pause told her there was. ‘It would really help us, Gerry – and Eve.’

Gerry didn’t reply. Carla listened to his deep breathing, her frustration growing because his silence told her he knew something.

‘Come on, Gerry, Eve could be in danger.’ Why wasn’t he more concerned?

‘Portsmouth,’ he said, finally. ‘There’s this café she used to go to. I think she might be there.’

‘Address?’ She wrote it down and held it out to Bremer, who went to the other side of the room to radio Nell.

‘Thanks, Gerry.’ She wanted to ask him a million questions – about why he had been talking to Joanne, who Mary was, what she had to do with Eve – but she knew they didn’t have the time. ‘I’ll let you know when we find her.’

‘OK, thanks.’

As Gerry hung up, Carla sat there, dead phone in her hand. Something didn’t feel right: his manner, the shortness with which he spoke to her, stilted almost.

‘Wait,’ she called to Bremer, who paused, his hand on the communication button. ‘What if he’s sending us to Portsmouth because Mary’s making him?’

Bremer walked back across the office. ‘Go on.’

‘He didn’t sound right – something was making him reluctant to speak. What if Mary’s there with him and making him say that to throw us off the track?’

‘So we send Nell to the Grahams’ home address?’