And before the gate closed, she also caught a glimpse of her children playing in the garden next door. Fate was still on her side. She’d never have as good a chance to snatch them.

She waited till the door of the house had shut behind Jez and some fat woman with a stupid grin on her face, then ran across to the tree, heart pounding. There was a garden bench under it and if she stood on the back of it, she could reach the lower branches, just.

Good thing she was wearing jeans. Puffing and panting, she got herself into the tree, clambered slowly from one branch to the next, getting onto one that hung over the next garden. She’d loved climbing trees when she was a child, though it had got her into trouble because she’d torn and dirtied her clothes. She wasn’t enjoying it now, though, and had slipped at one stage and nearly fallen.

From here she could see the children a short distance away, playing and calling out to Jane. Good. Keep making a noise, brats. I don’t want that old bitch to hear me.

Feeling a bit light-headed, she edged along to where the branch hung across a branch of the next-door tree. The one she was on swayed to and fro under her as it grew narrower. Suddenly the one she wanted to get to seemed too frail to hold her weight. How did you tell?

She wished suddenly that she hadn’t had a nip of whisky, then tossed her head and told herself this was the only chance she’d get. She’d never fallen out of a tree yet, and even if she did, it wasn’t far to the ground.

She nearly lost her balance as she transferred to the other tree, and grazed the side of her hand quite badly, scrabbling to stay on the new branch. It was a wonder Jane didn’t hear her screech in shock.

Gail clung to the branch for a minute or two, till her heart stopped pounding. No time to waste. She needed to snatch the children while they were in the garden because she’d never get into the house, she was sure.

The kids were playing some sort of hopping game along the paths and Jane was sitting watching them. Anger surged up in Gail and, without thinking it through, she picked up a piece of fallen branch and crept up behind her old neighbour. She waited till the children were out of sight behind a mess of dead plants and hit Jane’s head as hard as she could.

The old woman was knocked sideways on the bench with the force of the blow and she didn’t stir.

For a moment, Gail felt afraid at what she’d done. What if she’d killed her? Then she saw Jane’s chest rising and falling and let out her breath in a whoosh of relief. No, just knocked her out, and serve her bloody well right.

‘Mummy!’

She turned and scooped Hayley up in her arms, smacking a kiss on her cheek. ‘Hello, love. Give Mummy a kiss, then.’