‘For free?’ I said, the words landing like a punch in the solar plexus. ‘That’s worse! She’s literally trying to replace me. To destroy me! I’m Rachel’s mother; not her.’

I was weeping uncontrollably now. Nick stood up, leaning over me and putting an arm around my hunched shoulders.

‘Lily, come on,’ he said, his voice gentler than earlier. ‘Let’s go. This is pointless.’

I reluctantly let myself lean into him. ‘Okay,’ I said, my voice small, scrubbing at my eyes with a tissue that I’d found in my bag. I hated what a state I must look. How stupid I’d been to set a viewing for after this. How arrogant.

Williams watched me gather my things, that half smile still playing across her face, like every move we made was a scene from a play that she’d already seen. I stood up.

‘Is Sophie part of this harassment order of yours?’ I said, standing up and forcing steel into my voice.

‘Sorry?’

‘Our other daughter.’ I was the one to smile without warmth now. She didn’t know quite as much about our family as she thought she did. ‘We have a son also – Josh.’

‘No, it’s only you two,’ said Williams. ‘I rang Rachel before you came in to tell her it was in place.’

The phrase was like a burning match flying through the air – she and Amber could just casually pick up the phone to my daughter, but I was deemed to be some kind of dangerous stalker. Rage was starting to overtake distress now, fuel flooding back into the tank.

‘Thank you, Detective Williams,’ I said. ‘This is a dark moment for our family, but we’ll heal from it.’ I glanced to Nick. ‘She’s trying to destroy us, but most of all she’s trying to destroy Rachel, and I will not let that happen. You think you’re helping her, but you’re just part of the abuse now.’ I smiled sweetly before Nick could bundle me out. ‘I know your intentions are good. You’re simply deluded.’

RACHEL

I paced up and down the street, my hands balled up into fists. Sophie’s desk light was shining in the living room – she often worked from home on Fridays, sketching out plans and assembling mood boards for the interior designer she worked for. All of those soft swatches of fabric and delicate lines perfectly suited my sister’s gentle character. The green scarf she’d given me for Christmas was wound tightly around my neck.