Schoolgirl Missing: Discover the dark side of family life in the most gripping page-turner of 2019

‘Ignore me, I’m being silly. Just a bit stressed after this morning.’

‘You know where I am if ever you want to talk,’ he said.

‘I do. Thank you, Jake. You’re a good friend.’

His smile downgraded to sadness as he acknowledged her comment with a small nod, before picking up some perfectly clean brushes and busying himself with washing them under the tap. He wrapped a towel around them and squeezed the water from the bristles, before popping them into a jam jar on the windowsill. ‘So, what did you want me for?’ he said, at last. ‘You texted.’

‘It was about Poppy,’ said Neve. ‘Kit didn’t recognise the friend she was with this morning and thought he might be from The Forum. I just wondered if you might know who it was.’

‘A lad? Why do you think he was from The Forum?’

‘It was a man, actually. Well, older than Poppy by quite some years, according to Kit. He had a beard and an eyebrow piercing. Lip ring too.’ She was uncomfortable at Kit’s assumptions and stereotyping but equally aware that she was endorsing this by posing the question to Jake.

‘So, you assumed he was from The Forum and must be bad news?’ said Jake, an accusing tone creeping into his voice.

‘Sorry. It’s not me …’ Neve trailed off, feeling both disloyal to Kit and embarrassed.

‘They get a bad press round here,’ said Jake. ‘Some have just had it tough.’

‘I know that, honestly,’ said Neve. ‘I just thought I could put Kit’s mind at rest, that’s all.’

‘Just because a man was talking to Poppy, it doesn’t mean he was trying to groom her or something,’ carried on Jake. ‘He might actually have been trying to find out if she was OK. If she needed help.’

‘I get it,’ said Neve, feeling a little frustrated. On the one hand she had Kit thinking the worst and on the other, Jake thinking the best. ‘I get all that. I’m just checking.’

Jake let out a long sigh. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, coming over to Neve again and facing her. He cupped the tops of her arms with his hands. ‘I shouldn’t take out my frustrations with your husband on you.’

Neve had to concentrate on answering. All she could think of was Jake’s hands touching her bare arms. The hot flush reared up again. ‘Forget it,’ she said.

Jake lowered his head, his chin brushing the side of her hair. She heard him take another deep breath, which he exhaled very slowly. She lifted her face a little, wanting to feel his cheek against her own. Jake moved his face down, his lips drifting over her ear and sweeping her jawline.

Neve closed her eyes and for a second allowed herself the luxury of this contact. She was folding. Caving into a desire she had been trying to ignore for some time now but with each meeting, it had grown stronger. Jake’s patience and understanding, his ability to allow her to safely explore her darkest thoughts without judging her, without asking questions, had given her the confidence to move forwards. He demanded nothing. So very different to what she was used to.

Kit.

Her mind churned up an image of Kit. Neve jolted backwards.

‘Sorry, sorry,’ she muttered.

‘Don’t be sorry,’ said Jake, with a resigned smile. ‘There’s nothing to be sorry for.’

Neve brushed non-existent creases from her dress, mumbling more apologies. ‘I should be going,’ she said finally with some clarity.

‘You look beautiful in that dress,’ said Jake, his voice once again soft and low. ‘You look beautiful all the time.’

‘Thank you, but I need to go …’

He stepped between her and the door. ‘I know who the man is.’

‘You do? Who?’

‘I think it’s the new guy from the employment agency, Pillars, they tend to draft in the support workers for the kids at The Forum.’ He paused.

Neve nodded. ‘Yeah, I know.’

‘Did Kit say if he had longish hair, almost dreadlocks but not really?’

‘I can’t remember if he mentioned that or not,’ said Neve.

‘I’m pretty sure it’s Lee. I forget his surname now, but he came along on Monday and introduced himself briefly. I had a class from The Forum in, he was there with them for a few minutes. And he had a lip ring and eyebrow piercing.’

‘It’s got to be him, then,’ said Neve. ‘How old do you think he is?’

‘Late twenties, maybe?’ said Jake. ‘I’m not supposed to, but I can look it up on the system. The Forum sent me an updated register and it always has the staff details on there.’

‘Would you mind? Just so I can put Kit’s mind at rest.’

‘You can’t say I showed you, though. Data protection and all that.’

‘I won’t. I’ll just say you remembered him, which is more or less the truth.’

Jake gestured towards the office and Neve followed him through. The office was no more than a box room, with a small window overlooking the back of the building, held shut by several strips of duct tape placed along the bottom of the window frame.

‘That looks secure,’ said Neve, more for something to say than real concern. If she felt Jake’s presence earlier, being in this tiny confined space with him now was almost too much for her.

As if to emphasise the lack of space, Jake leaned round her and closed the door. ‘Just in case someone comes in unexpectedly,’ he said. ‘I could get into trouble for this.’

‘Oh, please, I don’t want you getting into trouble if it’s confidential information,’ said Neve.

‘I want to help. Don’t worry,’ reassured Jake. ‘No one need ever know. It can be our little secret.’ His hand brushed her arm as he moved to pull out the blue office chair. ‘And thanks for the reminder about the window. Must get that fixed. Do you want to sit down?’

‘No, I’m fine,’ said Neve. She perched on the edge of the desk and waited patiently as Jake opened up the register for The Forum.

‘Right, here we go,’ he said, scrolling down the names. He tapped the enter key and turned the screen to face Neve. ‘Lee Farnham.’

Neve gave a gasp at the name and again when she saw the picture smiling back at her. She looked up at Jake.

‘What’s up?’

Neve struggled to find words. She couldn’t say out loud what was really running around her head. She recognised the face immediately, despite the lapse of time. But she didn’t know him as Lee Farnham. She realised Jake was looking quizzically at her. ‘I … erm … I …’ Shit! Her mind was blank. Quick, think of something. ‘I thought … I mean, he’s older than I thought he would be, for some reason. Kit said he was older, but I thought he may be twenty, early twenties, he’s … erm … well, you know, older.’ She was gabbling.

‘Yeah, definitely older,’ said Jake. He moved the cursor to a box and double-clicked. ‘There, twenty-nine.’

Not only could Neve have told Jake his actual age without him having to look, she could have even recited his date of birth without hesitation. ‘Thanks,’ was all she said.

A voice from the studio calling out Jake’s name, made Neve jump.

‘Wait here,’ said Jake. He opened the door only enough for him to squeeze through. ‘All right, Stan. What’s up?’ He closed the door behind, leaving Neve alone in the room.