Bianca pushed the kitchen door open and found her father standing at the cooker dressed in the same navy trousers and fisherman’s jumper he had been wearing last night. His shoulders were hunched, as if he were wearing an invisible rucksack filled with stones.

‘Where’s Mum?’ Bianca asked.

‘In the rose garden with Finn.’ Dad’s voice was scratchy. He sounded tired. ‘I’m making porridge,’ he said, without turning around. ‘Do you want some? I’m taking the pot to the park. Your mum thinks we should try and give it to Finn, though I don’t see how.’ He stopped stirring and stared straight ahead.

Bianca came to stand beside her father’s elbow. She wasn’t hungry. The thought of eating made her feel nauseous, but she knew she would need energy today. She watched him pour the steaming gloopy oats into a bowl and add a dollop of raspberry jam.

‘Dad, have you seen Finn’s book anywhere? The one he brought home from the library yesterday?’

‘Finn’s book?’ He added a splash of milk and passed her the bowl.

‘Yes.’ She sat down at the table. ‘I’ve looked everywhere, but I can’t find it.’

‘Can’t find what?’ her dad said, distracted.

‘Finn’s silver book! The one he got from the library.’

‘If it’s lost, I’ll pay for it.’

Bianca was about to explain that she wasn’t worried about a fine, but she saw the faraway look in her father’s eyes and fell silent.

He put the lid on the saucepan, wrapped it in a hand towel and eased it into a cloth bag. ‘Eat up your breakfast. When you’re done, we’ll go to the park to join your mum and Finn.’

As she shovelled the hot porridge into her mouth, Bianca couldn’t help thinking about the missing book. She’d been through the whole house. Everything seemed as it always was; the only odd thing was her not being able to find that book. It bothered her. Why couldn’t she find it? Was it a clue? Perhaps Mum had read the book to Finn at bedtime? She should ask her about it, but Bianca was afraid of bothering her mother with questions about what had happened last night. She didn’t want to upset her. She wished she knew the name of the story, or at least the author, then she could find out what the mysterious book was about.

‘Are you ready, Bianca?’ her dad called from the front door.

‘Yes,’ Bianca called back, jumping up and spooning down the last few mouthfuls of breakfast.

Stepping outside, Bianca was shocked by the drop in temperature. She gasped as an icy wind slapped her cheeks. ‘Do you think it will snow?’ she said, looking up at the low clouds.

‘Possibly,’ her dad grunted.

Normally, after spotting the first tiny drifting flake, her dad would dive into the garden shed and drag out the sledges. He loved the snow. But today he was closed off from the world, and from her. On the way to the park, she had to jog to keep up with his hurried strides. The people they passed were wrapped in coats, thick scarves and woolly hats. Some paused and stared.

‘Why are people looking at us?’ Bianca whispered. ‘I don’t like it.’

‘They must have heard about Finn.’

She slipped her hand into his and they walked on together.

Opposite the entrance to the park was the grand circular stone building that held the city library. Seeing it gave Bianca an idea. She stopped, pulling at her dad’s hand so that he halted too. ‘Please may I go to the library? I know how to use the pelican crossing safely and I’ll come and find you and Mum as soon as I’m done.’

Her dad looked puzzled by the request. ‘OK, but don’t go getting yourself into any trouble.’

‘I won’t. I promise.’

‘And come straight to the rose garden when you’re done. Do you hear me?’

‘I will.’

She felt him watching her as she ran up the stone steps, past the columns that propped up the vestibule roof and in through the giant wooden doors.

Bianca headed straight for the children’s section at the back of the ground floor. The librarian’s desk was situated beneath a colourful mural of teddy bears at a picnic. To the right of the desk was a semicircle of giant red cushions arranged around a blue circular rug. On them children sat reading – the younger ones snuggled on parents’ laps.

‘Bianca!’ Mrs Dorcas, the kindly librarian, looked surprised to see her. Bianca noticed one or two of the parents shooting furtive glances her way and wrapping their arms around their babies. ‘Can I help you?’

Bianca could see from the look on Mrs Dorcas’s face that she knew about Finn. A bubble of sadness grew inside her chest as she saw pity in the librarian’s eyes. She knew if the bubble popped she’d cry. She couldn’t let herself get upset. She needed to think straight. She cleared her throat.

‘Yes, please, Mrs Dorcas. My brother, Finn, took a book out yesterday, after school. It’s silver, sparkly and about this big . . .’ She grabbed a picture book from the returns trolley to show her. ‘I need to know what it was called and who it was by. Could you help me find out?’

‘I’m sure I can.’ Mrs Dorcas blinked and looked down at her computer, typing something in and clicking her mouse. ‘It’s just a matter of looking up your brother’s name on the system.’ Mrs Dorcas frowned as she scanned the computer screen. ‘You say Finn took a book out yesterday?’

‘Yes. We both did.’

‘I can see that you did, Bianca dear, but your brother hasn’t taken out a book since last Friday, although he did return one yesterday.’

‘But he did!’ Bianca exclaimed in surprise. ‘He brought it home. He wouldn’t let me read it.’

‘According to the computer, he didn’t.’

‘Could the computer be wrong?’ Bianca didn’t know what to think. She remembered seeing Finn leaving the library with the silver book under his arm. If he hadn’t got it from here, then where had he got it from?

‘It isn’t usually wrong,’ Mrs Dorcas said softly, seeing the distress on Bianca’s face. ‘Would it help if I found you another copy? Oh, but you said you don’t know what it’s called or who it’s by? Do you know what it’s about?’

Bianca shook her head, and the bubble inside her chest grew.

‘Oh dear. I’m afraid that does make things difficult. I can’t recall a single sparkly book that matches your description.’ She pointed to a free-standing set of shelves. ‘If there is one, it might be over there.’

Bianca thanked the librarian and went to the bookcase. If she had to, she would check every single book in the library. Her skin prickled; she had a feeling that the missing book was important in some way.

After an hour, Bianca had systematically gone through every shelf in the children’s library and found nothing that resembled the silver book. Noticing the time, she realized she would have to give up and come back another day to continue her search in the rest of the library. Her parents would be wondering where she’d got to. She would have to be brave and ask her mum if she knew what had happened to Finn’s book.

On her way to the door, someone rushed past Bianca, bumping her shoulder. It was a girl she recognized from school called Sophie Lilley. She was hurrying out of the library, and under her arm she clutched a silver book just like Finn’s.