Twenty-Six

Pip, Ravi, and Connor meet near Sycamore Road for the planned stakeout; Connor is angry about viral speculation that his father killed Jamie. Cara arrives mid-outburst, creating an awkward moment given Cara’s own family history. They proceed to the abandoned farmhouse despite tensions.

Inside, they discover Robin Caine with two friends, smoking and hanging out amid litter. Robin admits he mules cannabis from London for free weed and warns a contact is arriving, angry over a recent £900 loss from a skipped payment. Pip ties this activity to the farmhouse’s significance on Jamie’s last known route.

A car pulls up. When Pip steps to the doorway, the driver blinds her with full beams and speeds off. The group sprints to Pip’s car and gives chase through narrow lanes, trying to get the number plate. They reach dangerous speeds as the fleeing car takes sharp turns.

Pip loses control on a corner; the Beetle skids and spins, stopping in the brambles. Shaken, they check each other, mindful of past tragedies linked to reckless driving. They fail to capture the plate, but note details: a white BMW sports car, first registration letter possibly N or H.

Ravi identifies the make; Pip reveals she knows someone with that exact car and suspects it may be Natalie da Silva’s new boyfriend, implying a direct link between Nat’s circle, the farmhouse drug trade, and Jamie’s disappearance.