‘And the boy? What was his name? Julian?’

‘Safe and back with his mother, although I’m not sure what he remembers of it.’

‘Cool. What a fucked-up story.’

They sat for a while with nothing but the crackle of the fire and the sound of paper tearing to accompany them. Georgie glanced at the sheets occasionally. Two years’ work. How quickly each sheet disintegrated into ash and with every toss she felt a little bit of Martin was also burning away.

After a moment, Li said, ‘Why are we burning these again?’

‘I don’t think I need them anymore.’

‘Ah-ha.’ Li was quiet for a while. Then, ‘You never went to the police.’

It was a simple statement, not a challenge, or even a question, but she still felt something twinge in her stomach. Nobody knew, except her, Martin and Li. As much as she didn’t like it, that bound them together somehow.

‘I know the system,’ she said softly. ‘I went into the room voluntarily, I kissed him voluntarily. He has no previous. I was alone with him. There was no chance of a prosecution.’

‘I see.’

Li nodded, and for a moment there appeared the slightest fragment of a tear forming at the corner of Li’s eye. Georgie caught sight of it glinting in the firelight and, in that moment, she felt relieved. Somebody knows. Somebody cares.

‘Too much time has passed now,’ she said at last.

‘You should have told someone, if not the police.’

‘I know.’

Georgie looked at Li again. The tear had been wiped away, but something had been left behind. Anger. Georgie recognised it immediately. She had seen it on her own face.

She shivered, despite the fire. Then it occurred to her. She was destroying the papers and giving up on any hope of natural justice. But she wasn’t giving up everything. She would never give up the way she felt.

‘I was up late last night,’ Li said quietly after a while.

‘Oh?’

‘I walked past your room.’

‘And?’ Georgie turned to look at her. The light of the fire shimmered in her hair as she stared ahead, transfixed by the flames.

‘Your light was off.’

She nodded, looking down at the folder. Most of the pages were torn up but a few remained. I’m not going to be afraid of the dark anymore.

She tossed the whole folder into the fire and they watched it burn together.

Chapter 66

Chapter 66