What could, perhaps, was to be mindful of the fact that he’d probably never had anyone to believe in him before, at least not in the way he needed.

If she gave him a chance, would life give her one?

She knew it didn’t work like that, but how on earth would it help either of them if she turned her back on him?

Now it was Claudia’s turn. “I realize,” she began, sounding more composed than Marcy knew she felt, “that you didn’t know who we were before you broke into our home and then set fire to it, but I think you do now?”

Seeming baffled by the question, he glanced at Marcy and Jasmine before saying, “Yeah, I guess so.”

“I don’t mean just our names,” Claudia told him, “I’m talking about who I really am.”

He frowned, but she knew he was aware of her true identity, because Dan had told him in the hope of getting him to admit that Marcus was behind the crime.

Her mouth was dry, her heart beating too hard, but she needed to try and break through his defenses. “You said just now that you thought it was a shame someone had it in for us because we seemed like nice people. Do you know who that someone is?”

He shook his head, but she knew he wasn’t being truthful.

“Have you considered,” she said, “that he could harm us again using someone else? That’s why we need to be certain about who gave you your instructions.”

His head went down, and when it became clear he wasn’t going to respond Jasmine suddenly said, “We all know it was my stepfather, and he’s due to be released in a few weeks. If you can confirm that he gave you the orders . . .”

“I’ve already said in my letters, it was BJ,” he told her.

“But BJ was acting for him?” Claudia prompted.

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

Claudia sat back in her chair, allowing Andee to take over.

“Why don’t you tell us who BJ is?” Andee said encouragingly.

He took a short breath and gave a shrug. “He’s just BJ. It stands for Big John.”

“But he has another name. A real name.”

He didn’t answer.

“Jason Colbrook,” she stated. “He shares your surname. I thought at first he might be your father, but he’s your mother’s brother, isn’t he?”

Still he didn’t respond.

“BJ is your uncle,” she continued, “a man who regularly beats up his disadvantaged sister, procures her for other men, steals from her, and who recruited her son, his nephew, into drug dealing and worse. This is who you’re trying to protect?”

“Not him,” Archie protested, “my ma. If he ever found out about any of this, she’s the one he’d go for.”