‘No. I really don’t think you get it.’ Rochelle was shaking, but there was a firmness in her gaze as she tried to make Paula understand. ‘He said if I leave again, he’ll find me. And he can find people—that’s what he does for a living, okay? He said he’d find me, then kill Brody in front of me. And I believe he’d do it.’

To punish her. He’d kill his child to punish her.

‘Thank you. I know you want to help me and everything, but the best way you can help me is if you don’t say anything to anyone.’

‘Come on, Rochelle, if you go to the police, they can—’

She shook her head emphatically. ‘He’s got lots of old mates in the cops. Even if they did arrest him, he’d be released on bail, then he’d find me and … Look, it’s better if—I’m asking—I’m really begging you: do not say anything to Ian or the police or anyone. That’d come back on me, okay? Make things worse for me. It’d be much safer for me if you don’t even—if you just leave it.’

Paula felt paralysed, useless, as she watched Rochelle pick up her handbag and open the door.

‘I’m going to take my sick boy home and look after him.’

‘Rochelle, please …’

‘I’ve been handling this a long time, okay? You don’t need to worry about Brody. You don’t need to worry about me.’

When Rochelle headed out into the corridor, Paula scrambled to follow. She watched Rochelle open her arms as Brody bolted out of the play area to reach her. She saw the relief on the boy’s face as he wound his fingers around his mother’s wrist.

Paula realised she’d been seeing Brody’s clinginess from the wrong angle. Really, this little boy had assigned himself the task of protecting his mother, so when he complained of illness, it was so he could stay home and keep watch over her—a child’s logical response to the danger she was in. Paula recalled Cameron’s vigilance around Stacey, constantly checking she was safe. Maybe the tonsillitis was a piece of luck, if it brought Rochelle here, if it meant there was a way to help her.

Rochelle was steadfastly avoiding eye contact but Paula demanded her attention with her authoritative doctor voice. ‘Rochelle, can you make an appointment to bring Brody back on Monday, so I can check his tonsils have cleared up?’

‘Oh. Okay. If you think …’

‘In the meantime, ring me if you’re worried at all,’ Paula added. ‘Ring anytime. Please.’