“Wait…,” said the man, adopting a more serious tone. “How did he tell you if he’s not home?”

“I saw him in a dream,” whispered the girl. “He said he went far away… and is lying under the floor…”

At first, the police laughed, thinking the child had psychological problems and were about to pass the case to social services. But something in her voice — her desperate sincerity — made them take the call seriously.

“We’ll check just in case,” said one of the officers. “What if it’s true…”