Steve drives through Hollands Wood Campsite near Brockenhurst to meet Jeff Nolan, trying to stay calm because he has been told Amy is safe. As he passes families and caravans in the peaceful New Forest setting, Steve worries about why Jeff insisted on a private meeting and why Jeff might be hiding from someone. Steve messages Amy but gets no reply, which adds to his unease.

While driving deeper into the campsite, Steve reflects on his own unhappiness and on the life he once imagined with Debbie, forcing himself away from bitterness. Even as he tries to reassure himself that Jeff probably only needs simple help, Steve remains troubled by the fact that the only real link between him and Jeff is Amy. That thought makes the meeting feel more serious.

When Steve reaches Pitch 46, he immediately realizes something is wrong. Jeff’s black BMW is parked on the grass with both front doors open, and the driver’s side window has been smashed. Inside, Steve sees a pool of fresh blood in the driver’s seat, with the blood smeared across the passenger seat.

Steve follows the blood trail from the car, across the grass and through the gorse, onto another pitch. There the blood stops, but tyre tracks begin. Using his Dictaphone, Steve records his impression that the tracks look like those of a Volvo XC90. From this evidence, Steve concludes that Jeff has either been kidnapped or attacked, and he cannot yet tell whether Jeff is the victim or somehow involved as the perpetrator. Although Steve would prefer to hand the matter to the police, he keeps investigating because Jeff came to him with concerns and because Steve fears those concerns may mean Amy is in immediate danger.