As Ashwin finished the conversation and swiped his phone shut, Ruban turned to look at him expectantly. He didn’t trust his voice to remain steady if he spoke, so he just raised an eyebrow and waited.

The Zainian bit his lip, his mouth setting in a grim line. For a moment, he seemed reluctant to meet Ruban’s eyes, staring fixedly at the wall behind the Hunter. “There’s no picnic planned at the school today. Class let out just a few minutes ago. All the children were picked up at the main gate as usual, including Hiya.”

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“But-but who picked her up?” spluttered Bala, her eyes wild. “I told Ratul to take the day off. The car’s still in the garage. I’ll call him–”

“Don’t,” said Ruban through gritted teeth. His voice shook as fury and fear battled for dominance in his mind, making his vision blur into a crimson haze. “I know who it was. I’ll find her.”