The Taken Girls: An absolutely gripping crime thriller full of mystery and suspense. G Sanders D

      Mrs Naylor raised her head from her husband’s shoulder. They both hesitated. After a moment, Lucy’s mother replied.

      ‘Plenty of time for that … Lucy’s still a schoolgirl.’

      ‘Even so, Mrs Naylor, many girls her age do have boyfriends.’

      ‘She’ll have time for boyfriends later.’ Mrs Naylor looked uncomfortable, her anguish forgotten for a moment as she spoke defensively. ‘Lucy’s a good girl. She concentrates on her schoolwork … her exams.

      Mr Naylor supported his wife. ‘Lucy’s going to university. She wants to be a teacher.’

      ‘What does Lucy do in her spare time?’

      ‘As Rach said, her A levels, studying in her room.’

      ‘And when she wasn’t studying?’

      ‘She and Debbie are good friends. They’re always together.’

      Ed altered her position in the chair and leant slightly towards the couple.

      ‘Mrs Naylor, Mr Naylor, I’d like you to take a moment to think carefully before you answer my next question.’ She looked from wife to husband. They both nodded. ‘How has Lucy been over the last few days? Has she seemed her usual self or have you noticed a change in her behaviour?’

      After a few seconds Mr Naylor said, ‘A bit tired with all that revising but—’ he looked at his wife ‘—otherwise, much the same as usual. Wouldn’t you say, love?’

      ‘Being tired with the exams, you’d expect that. Once they were over, she perked up. She was excited about going to London.’ At the mention of the London trip, tears started again in Lucy’s mother’s eyes.

      Ed swallowed, aware of the fine line between allowing a child freedom and losing them for ever.

      ‘So, Lucy was her usual self then?’

      The Naylors nodded. Ed looked at Jenny, whose pencil was poised over her notebook. Jenny gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. Ed turned back to Lucy’s parents.

      ‘Thank you, that’s been very helpful.’ Ed got to her feet. ‘Before we go, may DC Eastham and I take a look at Lucy’s room?’

      ‘You’ve already taken her computer! Why on earth do you want to go up there again?’ Mrs Naylor’s initial astonishment turned to anger as she continued. ‘Our daughter went missing between here and the Shaxteds’ house. You should be on the streets looking for her, not poking around in her bedroom.’

      ‘I understand what you’re saying, Mrs Naylor,’ Ed said calmly, ‘but a careful look at her room will help us form a picture of Lucy and that could aid our inquiries.’

      Before his wife had a chance to respond Mr Naylor said, ‘Her bedroom’s at the back. Turn left at the top of the stairs. We haven’t touched it.’

      Ed and Jenny were moving towards the stairs when he added, ‘Her room is just as Lucy left it.’

      At his words, Mrs Naylor’s face crumpled and she burst into tears.

      Ed was surprised when Jenny opened the door to Lucy’s room. She’d expected they’d have to pick their way around a typical teenager’s bedroom. Instead, everything appeared to be in its appointed place. There were no pop posters. Delicate floral wallpaper covered the walls and the same pattern was continued on the duvet cover and pillowcase. A well-worn teddy bear was propped against the bed head. Other fluffy toys formed an orderly line under the window.

      ‘Check the wardrobe and bookshelf, Jenny. I’ll take the desk.’

      Lucy’s laptop had been taken for forensic examination the previous evening. Now there was nothing on her desk except a blank pad of lined A4 paper and a pot with assorted pens and pencils. Ed turned her attention to the drawers, which contained other stationery items and a journal or diary with a small brass-coloured lock. She searched the drawers but failed to locate a key.

      ‘Anything interesting, Jenny?’

      ‘Not in the wardrobe. You?’

      ‘Nothing promising except for this.’ Ed waved the journal. ‘It’s locked but a bent paperclip should crack it. What’s on the shelves?’

      ‘Her very neatly filed A-level notes, study guides, a complete set of the Harry Potter novels and a couple of box files.’

      At that moment the simple lock clicked open. Ed riffled through the pages and sighed.

      ‘I thought it looked suspiciously new. The pages are completely blank. It’s not been used.’

      ‘Just like this box file, brand new and empty, but the other’s crammed.’

      Ed reached for a suitcase on top of the wardrobe. It felt heavier than she expected but inside there was nothing except a wash bag and an empty backpack. She turned back to Jenny, who was going through the papers from the box file.

      ‘What have you got there?’

      ‘It’s all printouts and hand-written notes about different religions. At the bottom there’s a Bible and a translation of the Quran.’

      ‘Probably for a school project. That’ll do for here. We’ll take that box file for a careful search.’

      Mr and Mrs Naylor were waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

      ‘Did you find anything that might help—’

      Mrs Naylor cut across her husband. ‘That’s Lucy’s stuff. What are you doing taking her private things? You’ve already got her computer.’

      ‘We need forensics to take a look. There could be something relevant among these notes, just like there could be a lead in social media on her laptop.’

      ‘We didn’t encourage her to use social media.’ Mr Naylor spoke quietly.

      ‘Nonetheless, forensics will need to check it.’

      ‘But that box is Lucy’s. Her things are private. We don’t even go in her room.’ Mrs Naylor took a step forward, as if to retrieve the box file.

      ‘Rach …’ Mr Naylor put a hand on his wife’s shoulder and she turned to face him. ‘The most important thing is to get Lucy back. The police know what they’re doing.’ He dropped his hand to her waist and pulled her close. ‘Do what you think best, Officer. Just find Lucy, we want her home.’

      ‘Thank you,’ said Ed. ‘Is there anything else you can tell us?’

      ‘We just want our daughter back …’

      Mr Naylor moved his arm to his wife’s shoulders and hugged her to him.

      ‘We hope to God you find Lucy quickly.’

      ‘We’re already doing everything we can. If you think of anything else, here’s my card.’ Ed stopped abruptly, realizing that she hadn’t yet been given cards for Canterbury. Smoothly, without betraying her moment of embarrassment, she turned to her colleague. ‘Jenny?’

      Jenny handed across two cards.

      ‘We’ll see ourselves out.’

      Mrs Naylor’s softly spoken words followed the two detectives down the hall.

      ‘Just find my daughter.’

      Debbie and her parents sat together on the family sofa facing the two detectives. Ed took them through routine questions about what happened the previous evening. They confirmed what the Naylors had said and added nothing new.

      ‘I have one final question. It’s for all of you.’

      Ed leant forward in her chair, reducing the distance between herself and the family on the sofa.

      ‘I need you to answer this question truthfully. If you think you’re betraying your friends, remember,