Now You See Me Read Free Page B

straight in, but somehow the police car changed everything.
    No one heard me. I put my hand up to block out the reflection and peered through the window; the kitchen was empty. They must be sitting in the living room or the conservatory. I could go and ring the front doorbell, but that felt too weird; Dial House was practically my second home.
    So I turned the handle and stepped inside. Sure enough, I could hear voices coming from the living room. Martha’s, then another woman’s. I cleared my throat quietly, heart picking up speed in my chest, and went up to the door. It was only half closed, but I tapped on it anyway.
    â€œYes?” Martha’s voice, high and uncertain.
    I walked in. Four heads turned towards me – none of them Danny’s. Martha was on the sofa, her skin drawn and pale, her wavy black hair loose and untidy. Paul beside her in his work suit, looking tired and serious. In the chairs opposite, two police officers – a man and a woman.
    Everyone sat straight-backed and tense, perched on the edge of their seats like they never really meant to sit down at all.
    I stumbled out a hello and the officers smiled and I felt like I could breathe for the first time since I saw the police car. They weren’t the same two, I could see that. They weren’t the officers from before, the ones who came about Mum.
    Paul rose and beckoned me over, but Martha stared at me, her face shocked and vacant, like she’d completely forgotten who I was. Then her expression collapsed and her head sunk into her hands.
    I felt a flush of unease. Was she angry with me for barging in?
    I cleared my throat to mumble an apology, then understood – she’d thought I was Danny. That look on Martha’s face was disappointment.
    Oh god. I felt giddy, my mind reeling. “Where is he?” I blurted. “Is Danny in some kind of trouble?”
    Paul stepped forwards, his expression awkward, and put his hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze before introducing me to the police officers. “This is Hannah, the girl we were telling you about. She’s always been very close to Danny.”
    The woman officer stood. She had brown hair and a nice face, the sort that made you feel you could say anything and she wouldn’t mind. “I’m PC Janet Reynolds, the area missing persons coordinator, but that’s rather a mouthful so I suggest you just call me Janet. And this is PC Simon Jenkins.” The man next to her gave me a brief nod.
    She said all this with a little laugh that was obviously meant to make me feel more relaxed, but it didn’t work. The missing persons coordinator? The words rang in my head like the bell at school, loud and insistent. Suddenly I wanted to go home. To crawl into bed and read a book and pretend that everything was okay.
    â€œShall I go?” I said to Paul quickly. “I just came to look for Danny.”
    â€œThat’s why we’re here, Hannah.” Janet paused, waiting for me to speak. I stared at her blankly, mind racing. I felt suddenly guilty, like I’d done something wrong. Only somehow forgotten, or perhaps not realized I’d even done it.
    Seeing my confusion, Janet went on: “No one has seen Danny since yesterday afternoon, Hannah. We’re trying to establish where he might be.”
    My heart started to race, my head felt light and spacey. It was like Mum, I thought. It was happening all over again.
    I looked at my feet, fighting the panic that threatened to engulf me, and saw one of Alice’s toys beneath the sofa. The soft rag doll with the yellow hair you could tie in bunches. Where was Alice? At a friend’s house maybe? Or perhaps Martha had asked someone to look after her.
    â€œSo, it’s good you’re here, Hannah,” I heard Janet say. “We wanted to talk to you anyway. We’re hoping you can help.”
    I forced myself to raise my eyes. She gestured towards an empty chair. I sat