The car. I had said on my application I could drive, and it was true, after a fashion. Jenna had made me learn before I left school, paying for lessons from a man with chronic catarrh who patted me on the leg when I did something right. I had failed my test first time, and Jenna’s wrath had been terrible. You’re wasting my money and your own time. Get it right or get out. Next time, I got it right. But driving around Watford was not the same as driving in Los Angeles, on the other side of the road. I had blocked it from my mind before arriving, vaguely imagining I could take buses, or that there might even be a driver. José did run errands and sometimes took David places, but mostly he was busy round the house. It was down to me to drive Madison about, as Abby made clear the second week. She came into my room again and stood there until I woke up, frowning.

‘Casey. Madison’s at school this week.’

‘Um?’ I came awake slowly, muzzy-headed, my sleep patterns shot. It was 7 a.m. ‘It starts at eight, so you better move your ass.’

She turned and left before I could even ask where the school was. I hustled to get up – never mind washing myself or the baby right now – and located Madison in her room. A strange thing was that she didn’t seem to have any toys. Instead, she was applying make-up – actual make-up that she owned. And she was quite good at it, her lips ruby-red and her eyes dark blue. It was so odd to see that on a little girl.

‘You’re very dressed up for school, Madison.’

She put down her lipstick and stared at me. She was only five, I had to remind myself. ‘There’s an audition at lunchtime. You’re meant to take me.’

I was? Had I been given a schedule and forgotten, or did Abby expect me to just know these things?

‘All right. Well, get dressed, we need to leave soon. Is your school nearby?’

‘You don’t know?’

‘No one told me.’

She sighed. She was in her nightdress – a strangely grown-up one for a little girl, lace-trimmed. The whole thing creeped me out, so I retreated. Carson was sitting up in his cot, looking at me, but not crying right at that moment, so I left him for now. Downstairs, there was no sign of Abby. I began to sweat. How was I to find out where the school was, let alone take Madison there? Why hadn’t I asked before? Why hadn’t anyone told me? I began to look around the kitchen for an address. A flyer with the school on it, a letter on a noticeboard, in a drawer. Everything was empty, clean and perfectly aligned.