‘Oh, I knew,’ he chuckled. ‘You wrote about it in your diary – in very gory detail, might I add.’

Jo’s mouth fell open. ‘You read my diary?’

‘Course I did,’ Evan said, without a trace of remorse. ‘It used to give me and my mates a right laugh. I can’t believe you didn’t know.’

‘You little shit!’ she squawked, her cheeks flaming at the thought of him and his spotty school friends reading her private thoughts.

‘Yep, that’s pretty much what you called me back then, as well,’ said Evan. ‘Little shit, little mong, little dickhead, little cu—’ He paused and gave her a curious look. ‘How come it was always little something, when I was so much bigger than you?’

‘How am I supposed to know? I was a child.’

‘But you just did it again . . . called me a little shit.’

‘Yeah, well, I guess old habits die hard, don’t they?’ Jo sat forward and put her cup down. ‘Right, that’s me done. I’m going to head up to my room and give Sam a quick ring.’

‘Why don’t you go home, love?’ Frank suggested when she stood up. ‘There’s no need for you to stay over.’

‘I’m not leaving you on your own tonight,’ she insisted. ‘You need company at a time like this.’

‘No one needs company when they’re asleep,’ he reasoned. ‘And you can go, as well, Son,’ he added to Evan. ‘You shouldn’t leave Marie by herself overnight; it’s not safe round your way.’

‘She’s got the dog to protect her,’ Evan argued. ‘And I’ve already told her I’m staying.’

‘Well, now I’m telling you you’re not,’ said Frank, rising stiffly to his feet. ‘Go on . . . get yourselves back to your families.’

‘You’re our family, too,’ Jo reminded him, ashamed of herself for already mentally packing the little bag she’d brought over that morning, containing her pyjamas, toothbrush, and make-up bag.

‘I know.’ Frank patted her shoulder. ‘But you’ve a long drive ahead of you, and the sooner you get going, the sooner you’ll get home.’

‘Only if you’re absolutely sure you’ll be OK?’

‘I’m positive.’

Aware that there was no use arguing once their father had made up his mind, Jo and Evan headed up to their old rooms to collect their things.

Frank was standing at the foot of the stairs with their coats in his hand when they came back down. Jo took hers and was slipping it on when her mobile started ringing.

‘It’s Sam,’ she said, glancing at the screen. ‘Won’t be a sec.’

She rushed into the kitchen to speak to her husband in private, but she didn’t close the door properly, and Frank and Evan exchanged an awkward glance when her voice carried clearly out to them.