101. Now

‘It's Dan,' says Mina, fumbling with my phone. ‘Dan?'

Bevan and Croft can't get past because the lane is too narrow. I'm going as fast as I dare. Dangling brambles screech against my paint.

Oakridge Nursing Village, Lydia said. One was built a few years ago. Where? Highwill? Howell? Hylwel? I know it's north. I swing into the main road.

‘Satnav. Satnav,' I say.

‘Dan, sorry, we need to look at the satnav.' Mina taps at the phone.

‘Frances?' Dan says – Mina must've put him on speaker.

‘Oakridge Nursing Village,' I say. ‘If it's not in maps, look for Hylwel.' I spell it.

‘Frances?' Dan shouts.

‘Yes?'

The road widens and Bevan pulls level and Croft rolls down the window, shouting. He looks furious. I ignore him. Bevan accelerates past and we quickly lose sight of them. I guess she doesn't want to waste time on me. I try to keep up but within seconds she's disappeared. We fly through the little hamlet and past the school lane.

‘Frances, where are you?' asks Dan. ‘What's going on?'

I have to brake suddenly to avoid a car at a crossroads.

‘We're on our way to Oakridge Nursing Village,' says Mina. ‘We think Jenna might be there.'

‘At a… Okay. Frances?'

I take the slip road onto the motorway, switch back into second and floor it.

‘Frances?'

‘Yes?'

‘Your mum was arrested.'

‘What?'

I can feel Mina's eyes drilling into me.

‘I got back and I was – I've called you maybe a hundred times? – and then the police were here and they've just taken her away.'

The satnav tells me to take the next exit.

‘Arrested for what?'

‘Attempted murder.'

Attempted murder of who? I can feel that my heart is going to split but I don't have time for that. ‘Are you coming to find our daughter?'

‘I'm coming.' The line goes dead.

And then, as I make the turn-off for Hylwel, as I notice some bunting on a large sign advertising Oakridge, the whole world seems to jolt and a sound like thunder fills the bright morning sky. Above the trees I see a rising plume of smoke as car alarms start to wail in the distance.