Marshall’s eyes flicked wildly around the courtroom–did he really think anyone was going to help him? ‘It wasn’t easy; of course it wasn’t easy–you’d taken my only reason for living,’ Donna said. ‘Whilst your family were given therapy and new identities, I didn’t get any help until I decided to help myself.’ She smiled at him and stroked the gun over his cheek, which was slick with sweat. ‘Then the papers started running stories about what a clever boy you were, Kevin.’ She smacked the gun off his forehead until a tiny trickle of blood ran like a scarlet ribbon down his face. ‘All those exams you kept passing. Matthew would have passed exams. I wouldn’t have let him rot in Shank Town. He would have got out–I would have worked my knuckles to the bone, scrimped and saved every penny. I would have done everything for him, but you took all of that away–and you took it for yourself. You got given the life Matthew should have had by killing him.’

She walked into the dock beside Marshall. ‘I knew then I’d have to make something of myself. So I started my plans. My long…term…perfect…fucking…plans. I made something of myself just as you had done. I needed to wait, wait until you were this big, respected, fancy doctor. You have your life, your home, your business, your wife, your mistresses, your reputation–well, say goodbye to it all, Kevin. The world is going to see you for what you are and what you’ve always been.’ Donna Cook started to smash the butt of her gun off his face, as if she was trying to obliterate his features beyond recognition.

‘Donna!’ I shouted, trying to break through into her frenzied state. ‘If you kill him, then you’re just as bad as he is.’ Donna Cook had one hand around Kevin Milne’s throat. His blood had splashed back onto her, and she glared at me. ‘Is that it, Brodie? Is that how you think this will end? You’ll trot out some shit clichés and I’ll let that bastard live?’

She was right–I had offered nothing. ‘Okay, okay, maybe if you kill him it won’t make you a monster like him because he took the life of your baby But he’s made you into a killer too,’ I said. ‘You killed those men, and Kelly Adams. Have you killed Sam Jones? Joe? All those innocent people?’ For a moment she didn’t move. I thought I’d got through to her. Although it looked dangerous, I had begged Bancho not to interfere until she had told me where Joe was. I feared we were still miles from that point.

‘Innocent? Those men betrayed their families by fucking around. Kelly Adams was dispensable–she was nothing, worth nothing. Christ, she loved that…’ She pointed at Marshall.