At some point during the night, Laura drifted off into a troubled sleep, where killers wielding hypodermic needles pursued her through a dreamscape. She woke with a start, suddenly guilty that she had fallen asleep at all. Light diffused through the curtains, giving the already dreary room a greyness. She went to turn over, but the sharp tug of her wrist restraint reminded her of why she felt so uncomfortable.

She propped herself on one elbow and peered bleary-eyed at the floor. Christmas was gone, his makeshift bed tidied away somewhere.

"Christmas?" The bathroom door stood ajar slightly, the dark crack revealing the lack of light beyond.

"Christmas? Are you there? Hello? I need to pee."

There was no reply. Perhaps he had skipped out to the service station for breakfast. She hoped so; she could murder a cup of Earl Grey right now. To hell with it, she could even drink a coffee.

He wasn't here! The sudden implication hit Laura. If there was a time to escape, this was it. Suddenly fully awake, she sat up on the edge of the bed and looked around the room. What could she use to escape? Nothing obvious lay within reach, except a Gideon bible. Well, praying couldn't hurt, but she'd prefer something a little more proactive.

Her bag stood by the door. Next to it on a shelf lay her notebook. The standby button winked at her. The battery! He'd reconnected it. She hit the phone stud behind her ear. It double-clicked with the disconnected message. So he hadn't gone. His wi-fi jammer still blocked her signal. But why had he reconnected the battery? Had he been surfing while she slept? Not if they could really track you from the signal.

She searched the room with her eyes again. He was definitely gone, all his gear was missing. Perhaps he had just left the room, the click of the lock waking her from her light sleep. He could be packing the car, ready to come back and retrieve her.

Somewhere outside a car coughed into life.

"Hello?" she called. "Hello? Can you hear me? Help."

The car revved and the engine noise slowly faded into the distance.

Maybe he was coming back with breakfast. Maybe he was coming back for worse. Well, this time she'd be ready for him. She'd at least pay him back for the thump to her nose. She hefted the bible speculatively. It was a paperback, no weight to it at all. She put it back. Just her bare hands, then. She lay back on the bed and adopted a position she hoped would look like sleep, but that would allow a good backhand swing. Just one rake, that's all she asked. God, let her find his eyes. Let her exact at least one small price before it all ended.

Her phone beeped in her ear. She hit the stud, startled.

"Laura? Laura, is that you?"

"Yes. Tony?"

"Oh thank God. Jesus, we've been worried sick. Where have you been? Are you all right?"

"Yes. No. Sort of. Listen, I've been kidnapped."

"Jesus! Are you okay? Where are you?"

"In a hotel. Easy something or other. A couple of hours east of the city."

"What's your GPS say?"

"I don't know. I can't reach my notebook. I'm tied to the wall."

There was a moment's pause on the other end, then she heard Tony speaking to Judy.

"Jude. Laura's being held in a hotel. Get onto the police. Get them to track her signal. No, just do it, woman, quickly. Laura? Listen, love, I'm not going away, okay? I'm going to stay online. Judy's calling the police now. Just be strong, okay? Are you all right? Has he hurt you?"

"No. Well, not really. I think he's gone. His stuff has gone, and he's not jamming my signal any more."

"Christ, we've been so worried. When your takeaway turned up last night, but you didn't, we were worried sick. We got onto the police, the Guild, everyone. Thank God you're all right. Okay, Judy's just got off the phone to the police. I'm going to hand you over to her while I get onto the Guild. Stay tight, we'll come and get you."

Laura felt the tears burn the back of her throat. All the snide thoughts she'd had at their exclusive relationship, and here were Tony and Judy charging to her rescue. The tension of the last day, exhaustion and relief flooded through her body, but she would not cry. She wouldn't. She would not burden her friends like that or give Christmas the satisfaction, even if he wasn't here.

Judy came on the line, gushing questions and sympathy. Laura lay on the bed and murmured responses, wishing it were all over. A minute or two into the conversation her ear stud beeped.

"Hang on, Judy, I have another call. Hello?"

"Laura Robinson?" The voice was male, full of authority.

"Yes."

"Sergeant Winston here. Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm tied up, though."

"Okay. We've got you at Easy Slumbers hotel. Is that right?"

"Yes."

"I've got a car on the way. We'll be there in just a few minutes. Is your kidnapper there?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Good. Just stay calm. If he does show up, just cooperate with him till we get there, but we're literally minutes away, okay? What's your room number?"

"I can't remember. It's on the ground floor, by the fire exit."

"Not a problem. When did your kidnapper leave?"

"I don't know. Just a little while ago, though, I think. He was jamming my phone, but it's unjammed now, so just a few minutes, maybe. Oh, I heard a car leave about ten minutes ago. I don't know, maybe that was him."

"Let's hope so. We'll be there soon. Stay calm."

"Thank you. Listen, I have a friend on the other line. Let me just let her know what's happening."

Laura switched lines.

"Judy? That was the police. They're on their way."

"Thank God." Judy's voice had an echo, and she was slightly breathless. "We're on our way. Me and Tony are meeting someone else from the Guild and then we'll be right there to pick you up. You poor baby, what you must have gone through."

"Thanks, Judy, I appreciate it. Okay, I'm going to hang up. The police are still on the other line."

"Okay. Be brave."

Laura hung up. Much as she was filled with gratitude and relief for friends like them, Judy's mother hen act would grate after a while. She didn't want sympathy at the moment. Well, not that much, anyway. What she most wanted was a release for her anger. He had better watch out, the bastard, if they ever met again.

Sergeant Winston chatted to her, voicing platitudes and counting down the arrival of his colleagues until the door burst open and two police officers fell into the room. They made a swift reconnoitre of the bedroom and bathroom, then concentrated on Laura.

One of the men sawed through the cable tie with a knife. "Are you injured?"

"No."

"Did he attack you?" He indicated his nose. Laura reached up and felt her nose. It was a little sore, but nothing was broken.

"Just the once."

"Did he ... assault you in any other way?"

"No. God, no. One of us would be dead for sure if he tried anything like that."

"Good." He looked at his colleague, who gave a slight shake of his head. "Well, he's long gone now, for sure. Can you stand? Yes? Okay, nice and easy then, and we'll take you down to the police station."

"I've got friends coming to collect me."

"That's fine, they can collect you from the police station, but this is a crime scene now. We have to leave. Besides, a detective will want to ask you about what happened. It'll be easier there. I dare say you can use a coffee too."

"Tea," responded Laura, out of habit. She rose, willing her knees to have the strength to support her. She reached for her notebook, but the officer stopped her.

"Forensics will need to have a look at that first," he said. "No knowing what they might pick up from it, if he's used it at all. You can have it back when they've finished." He place a proprietary hand on her elbow and led her towards the corridor.

They led her towards the entrance. Two more officers met them in the tiny reception area.

"Room one-fifteen," said the officer at her side. "Seal it for forensics. What sort of car did you arrive in?" he asked Laura.

"That one," said Laura nodding at the old saloon parked in the car park.

"Get everyone up," he continued to his colleague. "If he's left that one, someone else is missing a car. Come on," he said to Laura, "the station restaurant opens in ten minutes. I expect we can rustle up something to eat with your coffee too."