Amy is clearing away the oily, turmeric-stained takeaway cartons, aware of Matt standing in the hall, jingling his keys impatiently in his hand, while Chloe and her dad sit side-by-side on the stairs, slowly putting their shoes on. Her father, of course, is struggling because of his age, but she’s not sure why Chloe isn’t keen on going home. Matt is irritable because he’s conflicted: on the one hand, he’s happy he’s had a midweek beer and a curry; on the other, he’s annoyed at Nick and Bethany’s tardiness, and that he now has to take both Chloe and David home. It’ll be after midnight by the time he returns from Somerset, but she still hasn’t been able to force herself to make Ruby-May’s room into a spare bedroom.

There’s a soft knock.

‘That’ll be them,’ she says, wiping her hands on the dishcloth.

‘About bloody time,’ says Matt, opening the door.

Nick is on his own. He looks odd, washed out. He’s done a lot of driving – to Somerset to collect their dad, and back, around Bristol – and he hasn’t eaten yet. Either that or it’s the street lighting, bleaching his Italian tan.

‘So where is she?’ Matt asks.

Nick clears his throat and runs his hand through his hair.

‘Can I talk to you? All of you?’

‘We’re right here, mate.’ The old aggression has seeped back into Matt’s tone.

‘Best if we sit down,’ Nick says, pulling himself up straight and looking her husband in the eye.

‘What’s happened? Is Bee okay?’ Amy asks.

Nick walks past without answering and stands in front of the oven. He gestures to them all to sit at the table. They’re so surprised, they obey. Amy starts getting up again.

‘We saved some curry for you. It’s—’

He shakes his head. He looks ill, as if he might throw up.

‘I’ve got something to tell you,’ he says.

As her brother talks, Amy has the sensation of all the blood in her body draining away, rushing from her head, sinking and pooling in her feet. It’s as if she’s known, all along, that this is what really happened. Still, the betrayal takes her breath away. A stabbing pain in her chest spreads through her arms, across her back; she thinks she might be having a heart attack.

When Nick says Bethany has gone to Los Angeles and that there’s no way to find her, Chloe bursts into tears, as if the enormity of what her aunt has done has just hit her. Matt puts his arm around his daughter and clamps her tightly against his chest. Amy’s father looks stunned and grief-stricken, shocked into silence. Matt, though, is loud, livid with anger. She thinks he’s going to crush Chloe.