‘So, the difference was the first time you woke up in pain the changes to your body were …’

‘I don’t know what Ms O’Brien did to my … what Mum calls my lady parts. I just know there used to be other things there that just aren’t there now.’

‘And the second time?’

‘I’m not sure if it was Mr O’Brien—or if Ms O’Brien came back and it was both of them, or if he left and it was just her—but I think they cut something out of me.’

She was gritting her teeth against a torrent of pain-memory. But was it entirely remembered? ‘Amelia, does it still hurt?’

She nodded. ‘Every day.’

Geezus. ‘Is there a female doctor you’ve met who you trust?’

She shook her head.

‘There’s one more person I’d like you to meet then, please?’ Jake said. ‘If you trust her, perhaps you could talk to her?’

‘Is she a psych?’

‘No, a forensic pathologist.’

‘Like Abby on NCIS … that might be cool.’

‘We could keep your conversations completely off the record, if that would make you feel better?’

She slumped.

‘You don’t have to decide today.’

She shook her head.

‘It’s not that. I can feel time stopping again. I’d say you’ve got about two minutes left before I go inside.’

It was fascinating how she could observe and explain the self-protective barriers her brain shunted into place even as they happened. Jake could understand why some psychologists would be attracted to Amelia as a case study, but also how damaging that could be to her as a patient.

‘I can still hear everything when the world stops, you know?’ she said.

‘When the world stops?’

‘When I go inside my head, somehow it’s like there’s no time passing. Sort of like I’m inside a glass box where other people can see me, and talk to me, and I can hear them, but I can’t talk back because inside my head everything is frozen.’

He had to focus on the task at hand. ‘Amelia, this might be a hard question. Did you become pregnant while you were at the home?’

‘No!?’

‘All right. And I need you to be completely honest—did you have anything to do with what happened to Ava O’Brien?’

Her tears increased. ‘No, but I’m not sorry she’s gone.’

‘Do you know who did it?’

‘You’re asking if it was Charlotte?’

‘Or possibly your father, or Andrew?’

‘I don’t think any of them would do that for me.’

Jake could barely contemplate that, for Amelia, an expression of love might be to murder her abuser. ‘That’s a good thing, Amelia. But they care for you. That’s obvious.’

‘Mum and Charlotte do.’

‘Your brother too, whether you see it or not.’

A sad smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.