‘Papa!’ Romy burst in the door of her Papa’s office and found him leaning back in his chair, looking pale and tired. Mutti was standing beside him.

Romy ran around behind the desk and threw her arms around her father, sobbing on his shoulder as though she were still a child. Stuttering through her tears, she described the brutal murder of Dr and Mrs Ho.

‘Where are Li and Jian now?’ asked Mutti urgently.

‘In the storeroom. The one near the back that you use for supplies for Miss Schwar—’

‘Quickly!’ Mutti was already out the door.

They hurried down the corridor and pushed open the door to the storeroom. The light had been switched off.

‘Li, Jian,’ Mutti whispered. ‘Don’t be frightened—it’s us: Marta and Oskar.’

Feeling on the wall for the switch, Romy turned on the light.

Her friends were gone.