Saskia swivels on the stool, stares into her postage-stamp garden and ponders what she’s just discovered. Beth’s secrecy makes sense now; the woman has built a reputation as the cream of the yummy mummy crop, and she wouldn’t want anyone knowing that her life isn’t picture-postcard-perfect. Woe betide the stain of a destitute friend, or even worse, family member. Beth’s parents were killed in a car accident when she was a teenager (a tragedy that had seemed better suited to Hollywood movies until Saskia looked it up and discovered there were over three and a half thousand fatalities on British roads in 2003; some of them must have been parents, she’d figured) but Beth has never talked about her wider family.

Which seems odd now that Saskia thinks about it. She’s always moaning about her own siblings – her baby brother who’ll always be the favourite because he got a First from Oxford, and her sister who moved to Australia and now collects Iron Man tattoos like Saskia tots up hangovers – but Beth never mentions anyone. Not grandparents, or aunts or even fairy bloody godmothers.

Everyone comes from somewhere, don’t they? Saskia watches a squirrel race up their only tree and wonders if Beth comes from the wrong side of Reading. And if she does, whether that makes her less of an adversary or more of one.

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Kat

Kat wouldn’t normally answer the phone when she’s with a client, but there’s no way she’s ignoring a call from Beth at any time of day. She flips off the shower hose, throws a towel over Aggie the cockapoo and picks up her phone.

‘Kat, I need your help.’ Beth’s voice, tinny through the speaker, spirals inside her ear. ‘I’m so sorry – I didn’t know who else to ask. Can you help me? Please?’

Kat grips the phone tightly against her ear. ‘Of course I can help,’ she says, trying not to let her thudding heartbeat permeate her voice. ‘What’s happened?’

‘It’s that bastard,’ Beth moans. ‘Mark. He’s been to the school, in the playground; he found Ava at break time. I’ve no idea what he said, did; she’s too upset to tell anyone.’

Kat sucks in her breath as her mind starts clattering through possible scenarios, none of them good. ‘Did he hurt her?’ she whispers.

‘No, at least not physically,’ Beth stutters. ‘But Ava’s really upset. He must have said something terrible to her, Kat, but Ava’s not saying what, and the playground supervisor let him go.’

Kat’s heart pounds. She thinks about Ava’s sweet face, the innocence shining out of those young eyes. ‘Poor Ava,’ she whispers. ‘How can I help?’