‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I saw you and I panicked. I’ve been worried sick. Your poor mother’s going out of her mind. You’ve no idea the hoops I’ve had to jump through to find you. We need to leave, Emer. There are things you don’t know about the people living in this house. You’re putting yourself in danger just being here. I need to get you away right now.’

‘No.’ She shook her head. She wasn’t going anywhere with him. ‘I know what you did, Robert.’

‘Jesus Christ.’ He rubbed a hand across his face, a gesture she recognised. One he used when he wanted to show his vulnerability. ‘Would you just listen to me for once in your life, Emer? I don’t know what stories they’ve filled your head with, but none of it’s true. Kitty killed Lucy. I had no idea about any of it. Your mother finally told me the truth when I drove to Dublin on Saturday morning and asked her what the hell was going on.’

‘Bullshit. You killed her. You hid her body so no one would ever know what happened. And you paid my father to disappear and take Kitty with him.’

‘None of that is true,’ Robert said. ‘Kitty was jealous of Lucy and she killed her. Plain and simple. Your parents knew Lucy’s family wouldn’t let Kitty get away with what she’d done. So they came up with a plan to get her out of the country. Your father did his best, God help him, but the people who took her in were monsters. They filled her head with lies, turned her against him. Then, when he refused to give up, they killed him. And now they’ll kill you. That woman, Fiona, she’ll do anything to keep you away from Kitty. Now come on, Emer. We need to get out of here.’

She saw his hand reaching out and jumped back. But her foot caught on something and she stumbled. Robert caught her before she fell, his fingers digging into her upper arm as he dragged her towards the driveway at the front of the house.

‘No.’ She screamed, and tried to pull her arm free, but again his grip was too strong.

‘Shut the fuck up.’ He shook her, so hard her teeth rattled. She didn’t know what shocked her more, the sudden violence or the swearing. She didn’t think she’d ever heard him swear before. Tears pricked her eyes. This was Robert. He wasn’t meant to behave like this.

‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I shouldn’t have done that. I just want to get us both out of here.’

He was walking alongside her as he pulled her towards the end of the driveway. As he continued talking, she turned to look at him so she could see his face.