‘Jesus!’ she shouts.

Then we all cheer because Skull Guy is finally inside and has given us the thumbs-up. He emerges a few minutes later at the front door holding Oscar, who actually seems fine, not even a tear in sight.

I feel physically sick. Cec is now holding Oscar in her arms and is shaking from head to foot. That was the worst half hour that we have ever witnessed.

Cecily’s husband Chris arrives soon afterwards; we hear his red sports car pulling up. I’ve never been a fan of his at the best of times. Perhaps it’s unfair to judge your best friend’s partner, and maybe it’s rare to completely understand what your friend sees in them – after all, you’re not the one shagging them. Perhaps Chris was cracking in the sack. (I highly doubted that, though.) He was a top-dog lawyer in the City, and perhaps he could be accused of being a little too performative when it came to his ‘wokeness’, if you know what I mean. He always pulls out the ‘I’m a male feminist’ card, a modern-day liberal Lothario, talking about how women are equal and quoting facts about the gender pay gap over a canapé at a dinner party. Yet the way he treats Cecily is often questionable – and this time he completely loses it and starts going mad. Sure, he’s a dick, but we’d never seen anything like this before.

‘You locked our son inside the house? How the hell could you do that? You stupid woman! What’s next – leaving him on the side of the road while you drive off?’ Chris bellows in Cecily’s direction.

‘Chris, please, let’s just focus on the fact that everything is OK now rather than apportioning blame,’ Bea bellows back, standing in front of Cecily in her usual protective manner. Cec doesn’t say anything, she just stands there, looking shell-shocked, expressionless, and clutching Oscar tightly in her arms.

‘Everything is not OK, Bea,’ Chris growls.

He rolls up the sleeves of his shirt, wipes his forehead and starts pacing.

‘I cannot believe you could be so stupid,’ he barks, sort of to himself this time as he walks around in a circle.

‘Everything is under control now, mate,’ Skull Guy cuts in.

‘And who the fuck are you?’ Chris replies, looking Skull Guy up and down. It probably doesn’t help that he isn’t wearing any jeans.

‘Chris. This kind man – our neighbour – was across the street. He just saved your son. You should be thanking him, not shouting at him,’ Bea says.

‘It’s no bother, honestly,’ Skull Guy says.

‘Chris, please.’ Cec gives Chris a sharp look and it seems to bring him to his senses.

‘OK, fine, sorry mate. You can leave now, though, we’re all OK now. Thanks everyone.’ Chris looks around the garden and waves everyone off. About ten people have gathered just to have a look because it turns out most people are nosy. But now the commotion is over. ‘Nothing to see here, all right! You can go now!’ Chris shouts, shooing everyone away.