‘It’s him,’ I say to Gabe.

Before I can stop him, Gabe has grabbed the phone and has it to his ear.

‘Listen here, you little shit. Leave my family alone.’

I can hear Cormac’s calm voice. ‘Gabe,’ he begins, ‘I’m going to give you two very clear directives. One, do not call the police. If you call the police I will kill your daughter. Two, hand this phone to your wife … now.’

Kill your daughter. But she’s here. Then it dawns on me, and I set off down the hall. ‘July!’ I rush towards her room. ‘July, honey?’ My voice is desperate. I throw the door open, and the cold air blasts me. It’s cold because the window is open. I hit the light. Her bed is empty. I run to the window and look down into the night. The fire escape – she’s climbed down it.

I turn. Gabe is in the room now. His expression is grim, in his hand he holds the phone, thrust out in my direction.

‘He wants you,’ he says.

I take it.

‘Where is she?’

‘The fun starts now, Margot.’

I scrunch my eyes shut and press the receiver to my face. ‘Don’t you dare hurt her.’

‘It’s not about her. It’s about you.’

‘I know who you are. Peter, he was your dad.’

‘Is this the part where you talk me out of it? Is this where you tell me it’s not my fault? This isn’t Good Will Hunting and this story doesn’t have a happy ending for you, Margot. Maybe for your family, if you’re lucky, but not for you and me. Like I said, I believe in justice.’

‘He was a manic depressive,’ I tell him. ‘He had made two suicide attempts before he turned the gun on himself. Your own mother would have told— ’

‘MY MOTHER IS DEAD!’ he roars.

‘I know, I know. I’m sorry. Just tell me where July is. Let us have her back and we won’t call the police. We’ll pretend it never happened. She has nothing to do with this.’

Then another call is coming in, a FaceTime call.

It’s from Cormac’s number. I accept. But I don’t see his face. I see something else. It’s July, with tape over her mouth, tears flooding her eyes. There’s a gun to her head.

Then the camera turns back to Cormac.

He’s smiling. ‘I make the rules. This is what’s going to happen. You, Margot, are going to get in your car and drive to meet me. If you call the police, if I even suspect you’ve called the police, I will kill your daughter. If you end this call, I will kill her. It’s simple. Do exactly as I say and I will let your daughter go. Don’t do as I say and I will kill her.’