When the door had shut, Lauren started to cough, covering her mouth with her hand. The nurse in the room glanced up without interest, slowly turning a page. Patrick slapped Lauren on the back gently, asked if she’d like some water.

“Not water,” she said, “tea or something. From the cafeteria.”

After he’d gone, the two women faced each other. Again, the nurse flicked her eyes towards Lauren, then yawned extravagantly.

“This woman,” said Lauren, “you’re right, I think I know who it is. And why she’d do it.”

Harper leaned in to catch Lauren’s words, which were spilling out quickly and quietly as she tried not to be heard by the nurse or the young woman across the room.

“Did you see anything?” said Harper. “Did you remember something important?”

“She’s not normal. She’s evil. And everyone told me she wasn’t real. But this proves it, right?”

Harper gave an encouraging smile, but she had a feeling she was losing the thread of what Lauren was saying. Were they still talking about Natasha?

“I never told you what happened,” said Lauren. “I didn’t think you would believe me.”

“Try me,” said Harper. She glanced at the nurse, who seemed to have fallen asleep. Her head was on her chest, eyes closed, magazine slowly edging from her hand towards the floor.

“In the hospital, when I had them, this woman was there—I mean she was really there, I don’t think I was imagining it. Well, sometimes I do. It’s complicated. Anyway, she frightened me. And then later on, when she was outside the house, and I called you—I was right about that, Harper, I knew it, I saw her so clearly.” Lauren’s eyes drifted away and she shuddered. “She’s from the water, that woman. Where the two rivers meet. Just like these two.” She nodded towards the babies, both of whom seemed to be smiling faintly as they gazed at Lauren.

“The babies?”

Lauren nodded. “You saw them before. Do they seem different to you?”

Harper didn’t know. All babies looked similar. They were a bit bigger than they had been in the hospital when she first saw them, definitely. But different? Different how? She shrugged. “Not really.”

“Look closely,” said Lauren. “Look in their eyes. She changed them.”

“In the water?” said Harper. “You mean she changed them … in the water?” What was she talking about? Natasha was from the water? And the babies, too? Did she think that, while they were with her, Natasha had performed some strange baptism on them and that they were somehow altered by it?

“Yes,” said Lauren, “yes, yes, you do understand. Thank God.”

A voice from the corner, then. “I’ve heard them singing.”

Harper turned to where the vacant young woman had suddenly come to focus.

Lauren’s head snapped round. “What did you say?”