They had decided it was best for Corinne to stay at home that day, to make sure she was fully recovered. Beneath the flare of pink hair, her face was wan, her complexion waxy, but still there was the characteristic spark in her eye.

‘That was very kind of her,’ she remarked pointedly which made him wonder how much of his phone conversation she had overheard.

On the surface, the call had been to enquire after Corinne’s health, but it had quickly segued into a discussion about Beth. Her behaviour at school, while nothing like the alarming display of last year, was still a cause for concern, Helen had said. Her grades were poor, she displayed little interest in her schoolwork, and her participation in class was limited.

‘Her lack of social interactions,’ she had told him, ‘is worrying.’

‘Right,’ he’d said.

Perhaps he’d sounded defensive, for she quickly added:

‘I say this only because we don’t want her slipping back into depression.’

Inwardly, he baulked at the word. Depression was for adults, a psychological response to serious loss – bereavements, financial disasters, betrayals, broken hearts. It was not for fourteen-year-old girls who were loved, cherished, provided for, safe.

‘Has Beth been a naughty girl?’ Corinne asked now, smiling mischievously as she came down the stairs towards him.

He considered his reply, before answering carefully: ‘Her grades have slipped a little. She needs to put in a bit more effort.’

‘Would you like me to talk to her?’

‘Do you think she’d listen to you?’

She leaned against the newel post and shrugged. ‘I think so.’

He was reminded of something Abi had said earlier in the week – an observation she’d made about the control Corinne exerted over Beth. It was after the lunch with the Campbells and he’d been up to his elbows in soapy water and dirty dishes when she’d raised her suspicion that Corinne was instructing Beth in what to wear.

‘I overheard them,’ she’d answered when he asked how she knew this.

‘You were eavesdropping on their conversation?’

‘Don’t put it like that. I just happened to be passing and I paused to listen. Beth didn’t sound happy.’

He had scrubbed at the pan in the sink, while Abi went on: ‘Didn’t you see what she was wearing today? My God, she was like some kind of child prostitute.’

‘That’s harsh.’

‘Didn’t you notice how awkward and uncomfortable she looked?’

‘She’s a teenager. That’s how they look, most of the time. Either that or like they’ve just committed murder.’

Abi shot him a look.

‘I just don’t like the idea of this girl controlling her,’ she said. ‘Beth’s so impressionable—’

‘Oh, just give it a rest,’ he’d snapped.