Would her mother come? Yes, of course she would. She had to. Andi couldn’t bear it if she didn’t.

Chapter Thirteen

Sophie jerked awake as the phone rang. She fumbled for it in the darkness and nearly knocked it off the bedside table. Eventually she managed to put it to her ear. ‘Yes?’

‘Mrs Carr? Police here. Sergeant Milson.’

‘If this is a joke—’

‘It isn’t. Your daughter’s in trouble and needs you.’

Suddenly Sophie felt very wide awake. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘She was found unconscious in an alley. She may have been assaulted. She asked us to contact you.’

‘Tell me where to go.’ Sophie switched on the bedside light and jotted down the address.

‘Just one more thing, Mrs Carr. It’s the rape unit you’re coming to.’

‘Andi’s been raped?’

‘We think so. We’re still doing tests. Oh, and can you bring some clothes for your daughter?’

‘Yes. I’m on my way.’ She got dressed any old how, then found some clothes. Grabbing her handbag, she switched off the security system that guarded the rest of the house while she was asleep in the main bedroom and went out to the garage. It had been built for three cars but had only ever housed one. Her footsteps echoed as she crossed the floor and she kept glancing round uneasily, even though she knew no one could possibly have got in without triggering the alarm system.

She switched on the security system again, then set off through the night, terrified of what she’d find.

What had they done to her daughter?

Andi had seen what happened in rape units on TV shows, who hadn’t? But it felt different when it was happening to you.

Two women were waiting for her, and they introduced themselves as a doctor and a special police officer attached to the unit. They were kindness itself but she still kept crying, couldn’t seem to stop. She wanted her mother.

When the phone rang, she stopped talking to listen.

The police officer put it down. ‘Your mother’s on her way.’

‘Thank goodness! Oh, thank goodness!’

‘Do you want to wait for her before we do anything?’

Andi nodded, only half understanding what they were saying. Time seemed to tick along very slowly. She kept looking at the clock and finding only two minutes had passed, then looking again with the same result.

When the door opened, she rushed across to fling herself into her mother’s arms, alternately weeping and trying to thank her.

In the end she managed to calm down and sat on a sofa with her mother’s arm round her shoulders, trying to make sense of what the other two women were saying to her. But she couldn’t seem to concentrate.

In the end her mother cradled her face in one hand and said slowly and clearly, ‘Andi, darling, will you let the doctor examine you? If someone has hurt you, we want to catch them, don’t we? Stop them doing it to anyone else. Let them examine you now.’