‘And the thing is: all these years later Momma still hasn’t come out of it. Until she found her calling at Angels Assist she couldn’t work. But now she can go out and harass women wanting abortions.’

‘Is this any way to talk now? In a couple of hours she’ll be gone from us forever. Maybe even before we get home. Surely you can forgive her now.’

‘That’s the difference between you and me, Poppa. You put up with other people’s shit. Including my own.’

I smiled. The only smile of this terrible day so far.

‘I was finally planning to leave your mother after all this calmed down.’

‘I’m not surprised. I’ve suspected that Momma’s not been there for you in years.’

I thought about that comment for a moment or so, thinking: Klara is too damn observant. Then I said:

‘One thing I do know which you definitely don’t know yet. When it comes to someone else’s marriage – especially your parents’ – never attempt to try to figure out what goes on inside it. It’s often a mystery to the two people who happen to be in it.’

Klara’s response was to look out the window for a very long time.

‘It’s hard knowing that a parent doesn’t really care for you,’ she finally said.

‘That’s a tough truth. I wish it was a different one. But yeah, you’re right. I never talk much about your grandfather. But he was a hard guy. I was never good enough for him. Which still leaves me thinking: I’m never really good enough for anyone.’

‘That’s not what I think. And that’s not what Elise thinks.’

‘You’re in a lot of trouble, Klara,’ I said, ignoring that last comment. ‘Kelleher has all the power that a billion dollars can buy.’

‘Let’s get Amber to her safe house. Elise says I can stay there as well for a while. After that … Elise’s group has money and connections. I might have to disappear for a while. But you won’t lose me. There is a way out of this which doesn’t involve a coffin.’

‘That’s not funny.’

‘I know it isn’t.’

The traffic was light until we got near the Los Angeles city limits. I turned my phone back on. I let the GPS find our location. It informed us that there were bottlenecks everywhere. Night was falling. We would arrive at 7.13 p.m.

‘I better text your aunt,’ I said, ‘give her our arrival time.’

‘I’ll do it,’ Klara said.