‘You sure?’ ‘Yes.’ Tom handed over the keys reluctantly. Millie had already installed herself in the front passenger seat. She was asserting her right not always to be relegated to the back row, just because she was younger. As he slid the car into gear, Nick felt surprisingly calm. No. Not calm. Numb. He had been so sure that those taunting messages were luring him back to the boarded-up house in Hugh Street. That Suzie must be there. That the police would find her. Alive or dead. Now the bottom had dropped out of his certainties. He was left in a dark void. If Suzie was not in Hugh Street, where was she? Why had the mystery caller seemed so keen for Nick to come and find her? Why did he assume he knew where she was? Nothing made sense any more. He drove mechanically. There seemed to be a distant, detached part of his mind which watched out for traffic lights, signposts, other vehicles and pedestrians. He did not think he was driving dangerously. If anything, he was more careful than usual.
