All the way home on the bus Adele replayed things over in her head. The conversation with Peter, the way he had reacted and her previous confrontation with Glynn. There were still so many unanswered questions but for now she had found out enough. And what she had learnt told her that there was no way she could go on working for Peter.

Coupled with her aversion to being involved in anything illegal was anger at her brother. Why had he insisted she work for him? He knew the sort of activity some of his businesses were involved in and yet he hadn’t bothered to tell her. Did he really think so little of her that he thought she deserved to be amongst people as callous and ruthless as Glynn?

When the bus arrived at her destination she almost missed her stop as she was so preoccupied. As well as anger and disgust at what she had been involved in, she was worried about her future. Her job with Peter was the only work she’d been able to find when she was released from prison and she doubted whether she’d have any better luck this time.

She walked briskly from the bus stop to her flat, her frenzied footsteps echoing her inner turmoil. As she drew nearer to her front door she thought about the bottle of red that was waiting on the wine rack, knowing she wouldn’t be able to resist it tonight. In the meantime she’d watch something mundane on the TV to take her mind off things.

While she climbed the stone steps up to the front door Adele pulled the key out of her handbag. She struggled to keep hold of the plastic bag she was carrying and her other belongings while she set about opening the door.

She was just about to put her key in the lock when she heard movement behind her. She looked over her shoulder and her breath caught in her throat as she spotted the weasel features of David. He had another even meaner-looking man with him.

Before Adele could say anything, David clapped his hand over her mouth and brought his other hand around her body. He pulled her roughly towards him, his fingers lingering over her breasts. She heard a clinking sound as her key dropped to the ground, and she smelt the offensive stench of unwashed bodies.

Between them, David and the other man dragged her down the steps and into the small front garden so she was hidden from the road, behind the hedging. Adele could feel panic starting to take a hold of her as she worried about what they were about to do.