‘Hmm, I suppose the news hasn’t broken quite yet.’ She turns her wrist to check her watch, and then leans over to turn on the television, the BBC News at Ten appearing on the screen. ‘I had a phone call from the police. Very distressing.’ She turns up the volume, and a news reporter stands in front of the prison Dominic is being held at on remand, the cold making his nose red and his eyes water, as he reports that alleged child abductor Dominic Jessop was found dead in his cell earlier today.

‘What . . .? Fran, what?’ I turn to her, bewildered, shock making me stumble over my words. ‘What happened?’

‘He was attacked in his cell, by another inmate. They don’t like people who hurt children in prison,’ she says remotely, leaning forward to flick the television back off. ‘The police called to tell me after dinner this evening. Obviously, Dominic didn’t make it, so now there’s no need for a trial.’

A low moaning fills my ears, and it takes me a moment to realise that the strange noise is coming from me. ‘Oh God, Fran, this is awful, I have to go, I have to tell the police.’ I get up, fear and shock causing me to trip over my own feet, and I stagger, knocking my shins against the coffee table and making me hiss with pain.

‘Anna, don’t be so ridiculous.’ Fran grasps me tightly by the upper arms. ‘If you go to the police now, what do you think will happen to Laurel?’ She tightens her grip and I wince, her fingernails digging deep into the skin on my upper arms, as she drags me towards the front door. ‘I’ll tell you, shall I? If you tell the police what I did, they’ll arrest me. Dominic is dead, Anna, so what happens then? Laurel will be left without any parents, she’ll be taken into care. Is that what you want for her?’

‘But . . . what you did . . . it’s wrong, so wrong, you can’t be allowed . . .’ I cry out, as she slaps me around the face, her palm meeting my cheek with a crack.

‘Think, Anna,’ she hisses, her face pushed right into mine, as she shakes me hard. ‘Do you love Laurel? Because if you do, you won’t go to the police. You won’t let them take Laurel into care. Understand?’

I shake my head, my whole body shaking as fear and adrenaline overtake me. ‘I won’t say anything, I promise. Please.’ Fran hustles me towards my car, opening the driver’s door and pushing me towards the seat.

‘Remember, Anna, not a word to anyone. Otherwise Laurel will be taken away for good. Forget you came here. Forget you saw me, forget about Laurel. Forget all of it.’

EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE