I rushed downstairs, different scenarios playing out in my head. But Daphne wasn’t with anyone, she was alone.

‘Who was that?’ I asked quietly, not wanting to scare you. ‘I heard you talking to someone.’

She shook her head and walked into the living room. I followed. She stood in the middle of the room, wrapping her arms around herself. Her face was so pale she looked as if she might faint. ‘It’s him,’ she whispered. ‘Oh, God, Rose, he’s found me. He’s found me . . .’

Coldness washed over me. ‘Where . . . where is he now?’

‘He’s gone around the side. To the garden. I said I’d talk to him there. I didn’t know what to do.’

‘We need to call the police.’ I headed for the orange phone by the sofa. But she stopped me before I could reach it.

‘We can’t. Don’t you see? That will make no difference. It never has before. They didn’t help me then. Why would they now?’

I hung my head.

How I wished I had just called the police. Then maybe none of this would have happened. Fear. It makes you do strange things. It clouds the brain. And I had been so scared for so long. You have to believe me on that.

Daphne put her hand on my shoulder. ‘I need to talk to him, try to convince him to leave me alone. I don’t know if it’ll work.’ She let out a small sob. ‘I’m scared, Rose. He . . . he’s not a nice man.’

Her words conjured up images of your father, and the things he did to me. What would I do if he decided to turn up here, unannounced, like this Neil?

I pulled Daphne into my arms, kissing the top of her head. ‘It’ll be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you,’ I said fiercely. ‘We’ll sort this out together. Come on.’ I pulled away from her and took her hand, leading her into the kitchen. I could see a man standing in the garden, smoking. I didn’t think about my safety, or even, I’m ashamed to admit, yours in that moment. I told myself Neil wasn’t interested in us. It was Daphne he wanted. Daphne he had been looking for.

I opened the back door and Daphne stepped in front of me and out onto the patio.

‘Hello, Jean,’ he said to her. Light spilled from the kitchen, illuminating his face. He was very fair with translucent eyelashes. He had on a black Harrington jacket with a white T-shirt underneath and jeans. He smelt of stale alcohol.

Jean?

‘Who’s this?’ He inclined his head towards me.