‘You think I disagree with you?’ Elise said. ‘You think I don’t see all this? You think that, like any thinking American, I’m not fearful of the dark road we’re now going down? But you and I can argue all night, Klara. The big “macro” stuff. But we’ve got a huge “micro” problem to deal with right now. Getting Amber to safety. Out of sight, out of danger … and then somehow getting you out of danger too. But tell me if you have a better idea than the one I’ve given you? Tell me.’

Klara was pacing back and forth. I could see her fear. But when I reached out for her, wanting to put my arms around her, she shrugged me off, hissing:

‘I don’t need your fucking steadying hand, Poppa. I’ve gotten myself into this mess. I’ll get myself out.’

‘But only if you let Elise help you. And help Amber.’

Silence. Klara turned away for a while, then came over to me and pulled the cigarette packet out of my shirt pocket, fishing one out and motioning to Elise if she too would like one. She nodded. Klara put two cigarettes into her mouth, accepted my lighter, lit them both up, then handed one to the only woman I’ve ever seen able to get my daughter to go silent and actually consider a different point of view.

‘I want to have a talk with Amber when she wakes up tomorrow,’ Klara said, taking a deep drag on her cigarette. ‘I won’t pressure her. I promise that. I also won’t tell her what choice to make. But I need to hear from her directly that she is cool with the idea of keeping the baby. If she says yes, that’s the plan she’s following, I’ll put it all in your hands. Then I’m going to have to figure out a way of disappearing for a while.’

‘Our group can help you with that too. The women who run it … they will happily take you in and keep you out of harm’s way.’

‘You mean: hiding me for the rest of my life?’

‘If Kelleher is locked up it should end there,’ I said.

‘There’s the possibility that he’ll want his people to settle the score with me,’ Klara said.

I swallowed hard. Klara had spoken the truth.

‘Let’s see how things play out first,’ Elise said. ‘But you can – you must – have a talk with Amber when she gets up tomorrow. And if it’s okay with you I am going to drive off now with your father and get him into a motel and use my phone away from the trailer. Just in case someone has put a trace on it. That priest of yours, Brendan, says he knows you’ve been driving me.’

‘But he’s not put a trace on your phone.’