The young woman emitted a long, deep audible breath, more a groan than a murmur. ‘Yeah, and he’ll do it again if he finds out I’ve been talking to the likes of you. Why don’t you fuck off and ruin someone else’s day? If you think you’re helping, you’re kidding yourself. You’re just making things worse. Your sort always do.’

Kesey paused before replying, taking her time, choosing her words with care. ‘Pearson’s in custody, Sally. He’s locked up in a cell. And with your help, we can get him convicted and imprisoned. Don’t you think he deserves that after all he did to you? I know it isn’t going to be easy, but it matters. We can’t let him get away with it. You can be free of him. I’ll be with you every step of the way.’

Sally closed her eyes tight, screwing up her face, shutting out the world. When they flickered open moments later, Kesey thought the girl may start weeping. There was an unmistakable sadness about her. An absence of hope she couldn’t hide.

She looked past Kesey as she spoke. ‘I’ve been here before, on the exact same ward, just over a year ago, at Christmas.’ Sally pointed a trembling finger decorated with peeling black nail polish. ‘I was stuck in that bed over there, the one nearest the door. It depressed the hell out of me. People trying to be cheery, decorations, cards, carols, all that bollocks. That’s not something you forget in a hurry. I can’t believe I’m back here. I was hoping never to see the place again.’

Kesey shook her head slowly from right to left, first one way and then the other. She’d enjoyed a comparatively happy life, so unlike this girl, this victim of random circumstance, who’d drawn the short straw time and again. The detective clenched her hands into tight fists as she pictured Pearson in her mind’s eye, recalling his denial, his dismissive lack of remorse. Kesey had never wanted to convict a man more. It felt strangely personal. As if the girl’s future was her responsibility, and hers alone. Any form of words seemed wholly inadequate.

But she knew she had to say something. Just sitting there in pensive silence achieved nothing at all. ‘That must have been truly awful for you. Not the best way to spend the holiday season.’

Sally turned away, gritting her teeth, her jaw clenched, changing the contours of her face. ‘A DC David Harris made all sorts of empty promises. It was grievous bodily harm with intent. The worst kind of assault. That’s what the prat said. And he was going to keep me safe. Mike would be locked up for a very long time. It was going to be years, life even, if things went well in court. That’s what your pig friend told me in that oh-so insistent way of his. And I believed him too. I made a written statement. I said I’d give evidence however frightened I felt inside. And then the court gave Mike bail. They released the bastard as if he hadn’t done anything at all. What the fuck was that about? Safe? Safe! I was shitting myself. The system let me down. Your lot let me down. I was in more danger than ever before.’