NOTHING IS EASY WHEN it comes to caring for a child. That’s what Davey learned in the immediate aftermath of his sister’s death, and it wasn’t just Juliet’s isolation, her expulsion and trying to find a new way to live and work on the road, it was the mundanity of parenthood. It’s hard to be the fun, open-minded and open-hearted uncle 24/7. Harder still to be the confidant and to communicate freely when he was now the law, the governor, the dreaded parent. It was exhausting. He could feel sadness pull her away and it was to be expected, but the level of anger and bitterness often directed at him was an unwelcome surprise. It was hard to know how to handle his own pain and that of his niece, never mind keep her safe while doing so. He’d never been responsible for anything in his life except a cannabis plant, and he smoked that to death. He worried all the time; every waking moment was filled with thinking about what Juliet was eating, drinking, doing, thinking, saying, feeling. Her physical needs were one thing, her emotional needs quite another. When she wasn’t angry and pushing him away, she was polite and tiptoeing around him. Their once-easy relationship became strained and difficult and he knew he was failing her. He just didn’t know how to fix it.

Initially he tried to be all things to her and for her, but she didn’t want him to. She wanted to be alone so he gave her space and tried to be respectful of her privacy. He didn’t want to push, and every day she moved further away and he failed and then failed a little more. When she was turfed out of school and Juliet begged him to take her on tour he didn’t put up much of a fight. Davey was always known for taking the easy way out. He hired a tutor and he convinced himself she was better off on the road.

At first she seemed better. Her spirits lifted. She got on well with all the crew and she seemed to enjoy moving from city to city, never staying in the same place, always on the go . . . Maybe she was like him and needed to keep moving, or maybe she was running away. He wasn’t sure. She said she was ‘fine’. He was doing his best.

Then Grace called. ‘I have the gene. You could have it too and so could Juliet and mine, all of us.’

‘Jesus.’

‘Yeah.’

‘Jesus Christ, Grace.’

‘Yeah.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be. Get checked.’

‘I’ve been checked, Grace. I don’t have it.’

‘How?’ she asked.

‘When Rabbit was diagnosed I included it in my health check. Can’t tour without that, do it every year.’

‘Right,’ she said. ‘Good. Good for you.’ She sounded disappointed.

‘Would you rather I had the gene?’ he asked, half joking.