Waiting in the foyer for the security guard to ring up and announce her arrival, Alicia felt every hair on her body rise with repulsion. She was nauseated at even the thought of being near him, the look of calculated triumph she would see in his eyes, the cloying, too spicy, alcohol-soaked smell of him. A cold knot of fear gripped her stomach, twisting her insides so tight she couldn’t breathe, as she imagined what he might have done to her daughter. That’s what was forcing her to stand there on legs she thought might fail her. That’s what was compelling her to go up to his apartment, to beg him, plead with him, do whatever she had to do to get him to let her go.

‘He’s still not answering,’ the man said, having tried him for a second time.

‘Did you see him go out?’ Alicia asked, feeling more desperate by the second. Was he playing some sick, twisted control game, she wondered, her fear for Sophie intensifying as she realised that was very probably what he was doing: teaching her a lesson for being sloppily unpunctual. Like a child amusing himself by pulling legs from a spider one by one, until it had no ability to run, he’d played games with her from day one. How had he enticed Sophie? What sordid game might he have lured her into? Had she gone willingly?

The security guard frowned uncertainly. ‘Come to think of it, no. Mind you, there was a right kerfuffle here earlier. Umpteen bloody pizza delivery men trying to deliver pizzas to non-existent residents.’ He sighed despairingly. ‘Hold on a sec. I’ll see if his car’s still in the car park.’

He turned to his monitors. ‘Useless twits,’ he muttered. ‘Call themselves security systems experts. If the circuit breakers don’t need replacing, there’s a bloody power outage. Could have done a better job myself.’ Finally, he banged one of the blank monitors, which flickered uncooperatively and then sparked into life, giving a visual of the car park. ‘Yup.’ The man squinted at it, apparently identifying Paul Radley’s car. ‘His car’s definitely here, at least.’

Staring at the monitor behind him, Alicia’s heart froze. Realisation hitting her with the full force of the impact that had occurred on the darkest day of her life, she gripped the reception desk hard. ‘I didn’t know he had a new car.’ She forced the words out lightly.

The security guard glanced back at her. ‘That’s his usual car. He’s been driving a rental while it’s been in the workshop. Prefers his Discovery though, he said. Personally, I prefer the Range Rover Evoque. Production’s slowing off a bit now though, apparently, to make way for the new model.’ He twirled back towards her, obviously on a roll on the subject of cars. ‘It’s a shame. I reckon the Evoque’s more reliable. Mine’s never been in the workshop yet. Then again, you won’t catch me driving like a madman. Treat your car with a bit of respect and she’ll run as sweet as a nut, that’s what I told him.’

‘He does tend to hare around, doesn’t he?’ Alicia’s smile was too bright, her voice tight. ‘He’s a bit of a stickler for punctuality.’

‘Better to arrive safe than not to arrive at all, that’s my motto.’ The security guard sighed piously.

‘A man after my own heart.’ Alicia nodded in agreement and tried to keep breathing. ‘He’s probably in the shower,’ she said, desperate now to get past him. ‘He takes ages in the bathroom. Fastidiousness is in his nature, I’m afraid.’

‘Tell me about it. He had a go at me for there being dust on the reception desk the other morning, like there wouldn’t be, with builders all over the place. I mean, do I look like the cleaner? I wonder why I stick this job sometimes, honestly.’

‘That sounds like Paul.’ Alicia laughed. ‘Sorry about that. I’m trying to train him out of it. Do you mind if I go on up?’

Narrowing his eyes, the man looked her over. ‘Go on then,’ he said, his face creasing into a smile as he nodded her towards the lift. ‘Good luck with that training.’

‘Thanks.’ Alicia waved behind her as she walked away. Then she fixed her gaze forwards, hatred for Paul Radley coursing through every vein in her body as she headed determinedly for the fifteenth floor.