Hold My Hand: The addictive new crime thriller that you won’t be able to put down in 2018

Was he being difficult on purpose? ‘Your full name.’

‘Arthur Price.’

‘Tell me exactly what happened, Arthur.’

‘I’ve already told three of you,’ said the boy. ‘Shouldn’t you be out looking for him?’

‘You haven’t told me.’

The boy looked at her, a look she’d seen a thousand times, and from kids even younger than this one. Contempt.

‘We went over the bridge, me and Ny.’

‘Why?’

‘Why not?’

Jo was looking at him, but she could feel the others were suddenly more alert.

‘Okay, Art. And then what happened?’

The boy shrugged. ‘This guy comes up, dressed in a mask. He asks us for a fag. I say no. He hits me, and then pulls a knife. He tells Niall to come with him.’

‘And you didn’t know him? Never met him before?’

Art shook his head.

‘You seem very sure. Skunk’s terrible for the memory, you know.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Well, you all saw him, right? That’s what you told my colleague. Did you all go over the bridge?’

Art blushed. ‘Who said that?’

Jo smiled. ‘Listen, Art. All of you. Your friend’s gone missing, and if you’re telling even half the truth, he could be in danger.’ She sat on the table and focused on the girl who’d finally stopped crying. ‘If there’s more to this, now is the time to let us know. We don’t care what you were doing—’

‘We weren’t doing anything,’ said Art.

‘So how come it took you over an hour to call us?’

They shot furtive glances at one another, but it was Art who spoke up. ‘We weren’t doing anything.’

‘And we don’t care,’ repeated Jo. ‘But it sounds like Niall’s in a lot of trouble at the moment. I think you know more about this clown than you’re letting on.’

The crying girl caught her eye and looked away quickly.

‘If Niall ends up being hurt, and we find that you’ve lied to us now, it could be worse for you. Isn’t that right, guv?’

Stratton, his arms folded, nodded.

The kids were all quiet.

‘Okay, gang,’ said Jo, standing up. ‘We’ll need numbers for all your parents or guardians. They’ll be picking you up from the station and you’ll all be cautioned for possession of a Class C drug—’

‘No!’ said the boy sandwiched between the girls. ‘You can’t!’

‘Doing my job,’ said Jo. She took out a notebook, and pen. ‘You first.’

‘Please, don’t!’ said the tear-streaked English rose. ‘Art, just tell her!’

‘Shut the fuck up, Eve.’

‘Tell her or I will.’

Art was stony-faced.

Jo reached out and touched Eve’s hand. Cold fingers, chipped aquamarine nails.‘Help us,’ she said, ‘so we can help Niall.’

Eve sniffed. ‘He said he had some pills,’ she said quietly.

Now we’re getting somewhere.

‘The man in the mask?’ interrupted Stratton.

Eve nodded. ‘Niall and Art went with him.’

Art was shaking his head, but Jo stood up and walked across the room towards him. He flinched back in the chair.

‘This really is your last chance,’ said Jo. ‘Tell me exactly what happened, or I’ll arrest you for obstruction of justice as well, and it’ll be a lot more than a slap on the wrists.’

Art’s eyes were everywhere but on her. ‘He took us round a boatyard. Said the stuff was in his car.’

‘You saw his car?’

‘No. I was on the ground.’

‘But you saw him take Niall away?’

Art nodded, his breathing a little panicked. ‘He had a knife, a little one, under Niall’s neck. They just walked off.’

Jo let it sink in. It didn’t make a lot of sense to her.

‘Did you try to steal something from him – take his pills without paying?’

Art shook his head.

‘Did he take your money?’