Ben reels on the spot. His mind trying to understand what Harry is telling him. He gets punched again in the side of the head, then a flurry of blows makes him sink down to his knees with blood and snot drooling from his mouth.

‘She knew you were Ben Ryder. Said you threatened her. Said you’d kill her if she ever told anybody . . .’

‘No.’ Ben gargles the word out and shakes his head but still rises.

‘I don’t like wife-beaters.’ A hand grips Ben’s hair and snaps his head back. Harry’s mouth close to his ear. ‘Steph said you beat her. She said Ben Ryder was a violent man . . .’

‘No.’ Ben tries to shake his head but Harry grips too hard and yanks back while his knee drives forward into Ben’s spine, pinning him in place on the blood-soaked floor.

‘. . . Said you hit her. Said you beat her. Told the world you beat her . . .’ Harry rasps the words out with almost malicious delight. ‘She was going to leave you the day you died . . .’

We need to talk tonight.

‘. . . Was having an affair . . .’ We need to talk tonight. ‘. . . leaving you for him . . .’ We need to talk tonight. ‘. . . wife-beater . . .’

Ben flails side to side as chunks of hair are ripped out. Harry tries to pin him but he thrashes and breaks free with fresh energy pulsing in his body. On all fours and with blood pouring from his face Ben crawls away but Harry stalks after him. Kicking him over on to his side then planting a big foot on his chest.

‘I don’t like wife-beaters . . .’

‘I didn’t . . . Steph . . . loves . . . I love . . .’

Harry drops down, his face hovering a few inches above Ben. ‘You beat her. You hit her. Worthless maggot. Said you forced yourself on her the night before you died . . .’

‘NO!’ Ben screams at him, spraying blood from his mouth that flecks Harry’s cheek. He wipes it away and glares down.

‘Said you forced yourself. Said you beat her. Told the world . . .’

Fuck me, Ben. Fuck me harder.

‘Said she . . . was in love with someone else but was too scared to tell you . . . said you threatened her . . . said you . . .’

Images flash through Ben’s mind of Steph in their bedroom turning away to look at her phone. Pulling her towel off. Her text messages. The sex they had the night before. Safa came into his room. Safa smiling at him as he held her hand to explain parallel worlds. Safa and Steph.

‘Worthless maggot . . .’

‘I didn’t . . .’

‘Wife-beater. Coward . . .’

‘I didn’t . . .’ Ben tries to rise but Harry leans harder on his leg, pushing his foot into Ben’s chest.

‘You’re nothing. You deserve to die like a wife-beating maggot that—’

‘I DIDN’T,’ Ben screams at him.