‘I’ll call the police,’ she said, glancing past them at the road. It was late on a school night, and the little cul-de-sac was empty. She was renting the tiny house for a pittance, a favour from the owner of the women’s refuge, and no one knew where she was. Too late, she realized what a mistake that was. ‘I’ll call them right now. You can’t threaten me like this.’

‘Do you think the police can keep you safe, lass?’ The old man grinned, baring all his long yellow teeth. ‘You know better than that, I reckon. The child is ours. Give it to us, now, and think no more of it. I know you ran away and had that baby in secret. Who even knows about it? Not your parents, I reckon.’

Colleen looked at Michael, hoping that he would be outraged by this obvious threat to her life, but he was looking at his feet. He had also, she noticed, moved so that his body was blocking the door. How far would she get if she ran back inside? He would be on her in moments. She had always admired his easy strength, his grace. Now, the thought made her want to be sick.

‘How am I to know you won’t come back for me? How do I know …’ she paused to gasp in a panicky breath ‘… that you won’t just show up here one night, with your van?’

‘I swear it.’ He met her eyes then. ‘Give us the child, and we’ll go. You’ll never see me again. I’ll keep my distance.’ His green eyes flashed. ‘But I’ll write. And you’ll write to me. That’s all. I love you, Colleen. I just want what’s mine.’

‘Yours.’ She laughed a little, although tears were streaming down her cheeks.

‘He’ll write, and you’ll write back,’ added the old man, ‘and we’ll know where you are at all times. Do you understand me, lass? You keep on writing to my boy here, because we’ll need to know you’re on side. Just in case you start feeling the need to unburden yourself. You never speak of this child to anyone. To you, they no longer exist. And for that, we’ll keep our distance. I can promise you that.’ He lifted his lips in a sneer. ‘What are you snivelling about? You can have more babies. That’s what women do, isn’t it?’

Michael turned to look at the older man, a scowl briefly darkening his brow. ‘That’s enough.’

‘What will you do? With the baby?’

‘Raise him, Colleen. He’s my boy.’ Michael smiled slightly, and quite abruptly she hated him with every part of her, a hate to shake the stars down from the sky. ‘Or girl. I’ll look after him. It might even, you know, help me. To be …’