Was it enough? It certainly wouldn’t be enough if the suicide angle was exposed as a stretched truth, and Sophie’s contempt for his argument was all too obvious. I couldn’t lose her. I couldn’t lose either of my girls – I needed them too much, even if they chose not to appreciate it. Perhaps there was a way to take out both problems with one round of ammunition?

‘Sophie’s right,’ I said, smiling over at her. It was like flicking on a light switch, so grateful was she for my approval. This was going to be even easier than I’d hoped. ‘Rachel needs our protection, our love. But you’re right too, darling. With the state she’s reached, tough love’s part of the package.’

Both of them were fixed on me now.

‘We need to know…’ I was starting to shake, my calm evaporating. That appalling encounter in her ratty treatment room, the look on Rachel’s face last night as she rhapsodized about her. ‘We need to know what Amber’s capable of. What her methods are. Trust me, that Christmas retreat was more than just foot massages and supermarket Prosecco. It’s broken Rachel.’

Sophie looked stricken.

‘Oh God, Mum… what do we do?’

‘And who are these people? The state of her little friend – she looked like a traveller.’ Righteous anger was lighting me up from within by now, as I thought of how that greasy-haired child had torn into me. ‘I’m surprised she didn’t have a mongrel trailing behind her on a string.’

‘Probably a druggie. What are you actually suggesting here, Lily?’ said Nick.

Esther crossed my eyeline, visible through the glass wall behind Sophie, and I faltered for a second. She was holding a sheaf of papers, walking purposefully, with the air of someone who was fully confident in their own domain. I’d let it go too far this time.

‘You’re up next, my darling,’ I said, pointing to Sophie. ‘You need to go and find her. Find out what that terrible woman put her through at Christmas, so we’ve got the full picture.’

Sophie looked uncertain.

‘I don’t want to spy on her, Mum…’

I crossed over to her, enveloped her in my arms. Soon I could feel her tears soaking into my cream silk shirt, her body moulding against mine.

‘You’re not betraying her, Sophie,’ I said, gently rocking her solid frame. ‘You’re just making sure she’s alright. You said yourself you should never have hung up on her.’ A little sob escaped at that. ‘You’re being the best sister you could possibly be.’

As I hugged my innocent girl, my eyes kept roving the space. I was like a sniper, waiting for the next target.

How arrogant I was to believe I was invincible.

RACHEL