Kensy realised too late that the rope wasn’t long enough. She dropped the last metre or so, causing a huge bang, which coincided perfectly with a booming clap of thunder. Her feet plummeted through a grate and onto something soft and completely unexpected – a couch.

Max landed beside her. ‘What is this place?’ he whispered, looking around at what appeared to be some sort of living quarters. There was a kitchen in the corner and another room off to the right.

‘Hector, is that you?’ a woman called from the other room.

The twins froze as a slim woman with clear blue eyes and fine features opened the door and startled at the sight of the two children in front of her. For a moment nobody said a thing.

‘Am I dreaming or are there really two children standing before me?’ she said.

Hector Clement appeared through another door. He was shorter and broad-shouldered with a full grey beard and grey hair several shades darker than the woman’s. He walked to his wife’s side and peered at the twins, wondering if, after over a decade in captivity, he had finally begun to hallucinate.

Kensington couldn’t help thinking the woman’s resemblance to their mother was striking.

For once it was Max who spoke first. ‘My name is Maxim Val d’Isère Grey – no, Spencer – and this is my twin sister, Kensington Méribel Spencer.’

Marisol’s face drained of colour and she looked as if she was going to pass out. She reached for her husband’s arm to steady herself.

‘You are Anna and Edward’s children?’ Hector said.

Kensy and Max nodded. ‘We’ve come to take you home, Grand-mère and Grand-père,’ the boy said.

‘Mum and Dad have been looking for you for months,’ Kensy added.

Marisol’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Oh my word.’

‘They are here too?’ Hector asked.

Kensy shook her head. ‘No.’

Marisol’s breath caught in her throat and she crossed her hands on her chest. ‘Is this real, Hector? Am I dreaming?’ Tears slid down her cheeks.

‘We’re real, Grand-mère,’ Kensy said, smiling through her tears.

Marisol opened her arms and pulled the twins into her embrace. Hector enveloped them all. For more than a minute they stood together, weeping.

‘We’ve got to go,’ Kensy said eventually, wiping at her eyes.

Hector shook his head. ‘There is no way out of this place. Believe me, we have tried.’

‘There has to be,’ Max said. ‘Someone put you in here and now we’re going to get you out.’

There was a loud whoosh as the trapdoor opened and Dash climbed up the ladder with Nick behind him. Both men were carrying a biohazard box in one hand.

‘I don’t understand how the transport was cancelled,’ Dash said. ‘Lucy had it all organised. She’s never messed up a transfer.’

Nick shrugged. ‘I was waiting for ages. When I called the number she’d given me, it said it was disconnected.’

Dash tried to phone his assistant for the umpteenth time since leaving the city, but she wasn’t picking up. The woman had been absolutely devoted to him for the past ten years and he couldn’t remember there ever being a time she didn’t take his calls, no matter the hour. This didn’t make sense at all. ‘I’ll have to get these to the plane myself or we’ll miss the connections,’ he said, hefting the large biohazard case onto the floor.

‘There are four more,’ Nick said. ‘I’ll bring them up.’

Dash glanced at the man’s arm. ‘You know Tinsley’s on to you.’

‘What do you mean?’

Dash chuckled. ‘She saw the scratch and thinks it was you who carjacked her, but don’t worry, I’ve spoken to the police commissioner and you’re in the clear. You’ll have to be more careful next time.’

‘Next time?’ Nick repeated.

‘Only if she starts acting up again.’ Dash glanced at his watch. ‘Hurry, I’ll put this in the car.’

Dash picked up the two cases and walked out of the office into the shed. The door had blown shut in the wind. He kicked it open and hurried outside. The large spats of rain were coming down harder and faster. Dash charged around to the back of the four-wheel drive and pulled open the door.

Curtis had just enough time to get out of the way. He pressed himself against the back tyre on the left-hand side and hoped that Dash wasn’t about to drive off. His heart was pounding so loudly it was a wonder the man couldn’t hear it over the crashing storm.