A little vomit surged into my mouth and I had to swallow it down. It burned my throat. I should have called the police first. Why had I looked for David’s gun? I would wonder that often, over the years I had to sit in prison. My first instinct had been to defend myself. The fact that the gun was unlocked and loaded, that was just blind fate. A compression of circumstances that led to me, standing opposite David, with a gun in one hand and his baby clasped tight with the other.

He looked so tired. As if he hadn’t slept in days. I could smell the sourness of him.

‘Casey, it’s all right. I’ve taken care of it.’

‘But she . . .’

‘She would have stopped us, you know? Taken the house, all the money . . . it’s better this way, Casey. We can start again, you and me. Just us.’

The way he said it sent chills down my spine. I could hear no other sounds in the house. No one living.

‘Madison?’ I said.

His face twisted. ‘I – it’s kinder for her. She won’t feel anything now. She wasn’t right, you know that. Abby had warped her. The bruises, the burns – what kind of mother does that to her child? Both of them, totally ruined. It’s sad, but they’re at peace now.’

I tried to move past him to get to her – maybe she was still alive, maybe it was a lie or I could reach her in time – but he blocked my way.

‘There’s no point,’ he said, his voice flat. ‘She’s gone.’

‘No . . . !’

‘She’s gone, Casey. She’s in bed. She didn’t suffer.’

I was terrified then. David had killed Abby and Madison. And I knew who was next.

‘Come on,’ he said, holding out his hands for Carson. ‘Give him to me. It’s better this way.’

Carson looked at his father and started to cry, dribbling down my top. I stood frozen. This couldn’t be happening. My brain was a blank.

‘Casey.’ His voice hardened. ‘Give me the baby. He’s not even yours, what do you care? Let’s put it all behind us. We’ll go up the coast, just drive, we’ll be happy. You can have a baby of your own.’

He was close enough now to reach out and stroke the sweaty hair back from my neck. I flinched. This couldn’t be real. I could talk him round. I tried to reason with him.

‘David, he’s just a little baby. I love Carson! We can take him with us, it’ll be fine.’