‘But you remember it, don’t you, Ewan? I bet you can recall like it was yesterday how scared you were seeing your wife balancing on that wall with Poppy in her arms, and how desperate you were to stop her falling to certain death. And you did, you saved your little girl’s life that day,’ said Maggie. ‘So why are you risking it now?’

There was a sharp intake of breath from Ewan as he struggled with the emotions Maggie’s reminder had unleashed. His expression raced from anger to hurt to alarm as his mind took him back to that moment eight years ago when it was Julia standing where he now sat, threatening to kill herself and their child.

‘I’m not like her,’ he said through clenched teeth.

‘Right now you’re putting Poppy in harm’s way just like she did,’ said Maggie. ‘But I know you don’t mean to. I know you wouldn’t really hurt her.’

He shook his head vehemently. ‘I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t.’

Maggie extended her hand. ‘So let me help you. Let me help you keep her safe.’

‘No! You want to lock her up because she pushed the boy.’

Maggie stopped.

‘How did you know she did it?’

Poppy went rigid with fear as Ewan stroked her hair.

‘You told me at the school after it happened, didn’t you, darling?’ He looked back at Maggie. ‘And she told me what Benji had said about me. I said he was lying, but she mustn’t tell the truth because the police wouldn’t understand and you’d take her away from us.’

‘Is that why you killed Ruby, to keep her quiet as well?’

‘Don’t be stupid. She wanted more money than I was prepared to pay. She started yelling so I had to silence her. I won’t have any woman yell at me.’

Maggie thought carefully how to respond. She daren’t promise anything she couldn’t deliver.

‘What Poppy did to Benji – there are mitigating circumstances. Reasons, good reasons, that will be taken into account,’ she said.

She could see Ewan was listening intently and it filled her with hope.

‘I’ll make sure everyone knows about those reasons, I swear. I’ll look after her.’

She saw his arm begin to unfurl from Poppy’s shoulders and, heart beating wildly, she stepped closer, stretching out both her arms, ready to grab her. But as she did, there was a shout to her left, from where the others were, and she looked round to see Renshaw bearing down on them, with Belmar in close pursuit.

‘Don’t you dare let her get away with it!’ Renshaw screamed.

On hearing that, Julia elbowed Umpire in the stomach, forcing him to release his hold on her. Then she started running too.

‘Stay back,’ Maggie yelled at them. ‘Don’t come any closer!’