Hailey looked grim. ‘I only got a glimpse, so I can’t be sure. But we need to find a way to have a proper look.’ Her eyes locked with Sara’s. ‘It made me wonder what this work he’s doing is all about. Could these videos relate to this website he’s been designing?’

‘What website? He just told me he was doing coding for something.’

‘When I was chatting to him at football practice, that’s what he said he was doing. Designing a website.’

Sara’s head spun with the idea that Matt might be involved. Was it possible? He’d never really explained exactly what the contract was for; always said he couldn’t divulge details because the content was highly confidential. She was used to him working on government contracts and understood he couldn’t tell her everything so hadn’t pressed for more information.

Ezra ran back to them then and grabbed Sara’s hand. ‘Come on, Mummy, why are you being so slow?’ He tugged harder and she followed, Hailey speeding up to walk beside her.

‘We’ll have to talk later.’ Hailey nodded towards Ezra, the implication clear. Whatever they had to discuss, neither of them wanted him to hear. He bent to look at a ladybird on a bilberry bush, and the sisters moved on a little, out of earshot.

‘Ezra can stay with us, can’t he?’ Sara asked. ‘At your house.’ The thought of being separated from him again was something she couldn’t contemplate.

‘God, yeah.’ Hailey’s mouth twisted. ‘I hadn’t realised…’ She watched him as he tried to get the insect to crawl onto his finger. ‘I’d always thought of Matt as a great dad, but just now… Well, it’s clear he doesn’t know how to deal with Ezra when he’s playing up. He completely lost it with the poor lad, and it reminded me of Doug. You remember him? One of Mum’s…’ Her gaze returned to Sara, the shadows of past experiences clouding her eyes.

‘I do. He really didn’t like me, did he?’ Sara had tried to forget about the man who’d shared their home for a short while, probably no more than six months, a man who’d swung from charmer to devil in a matter of seconds and whose mood was always hard to gauge. His erratic behaviour had the two sisters hiding in the room they shared for most of the time he lived with them. ‘Matt’s not as bad as Doug, I don’t think. But I know what you mean. He thinks shouting’s the answer.’