Felicity jumped into the passenger seat and Jasmine started the car, grateful that her mother had insisted on getting an automatic.

Jasmine put the car into drive and slammed her foot down on the accelerator. Felicity continued to ask her questions, but Jasmine couldn’t think. It felt as if the worst had already happened, but there was no way that this day was going to end without more death. Jasmine heard and felt a thud against the side of the car.

‘Oh my God!’ Felicity shouted. ‘Stop the car! I think you hit the dog.’

‘I can’t stop. We’ve got to go!’ Jasmine shouted back.

As she pulled out of the driveway Felicity grabbed hold of the wheel, trying to wrestle control from Jasmine.

‘You’re not making any sense. What the hell are we doing? What aren’t you telling me?’

‘We can talk about this later. We just need to get as far away as possible.’

With a quick, forceful tug Felicity pulled the steering wheel so hard that it propelled the car into the wall at the end of the drive. Jolting them both forwards. Unable to move, Jasmine shifted the gear stick so that the car could reverse, but Felicity was now getting hysterical in the seat next to her.

‘Will you just listen to me?’ Jasmine snapped. ‘We have got to go. Now.’

‘Not until you tell me what’s going on!’

Jasmine looked back at the house. The front door was wide open. Panic set in. Had she just hit her father? She thought of him lying on the ground under the car and was ashamed at the relief that swept over her. Her car door was jammed against the wall, so she couldn’t open it enough to get out. At that moment the back door of the car opened on Felicity’s side and Frank got in. She was too late.

‘Jasmine, you have just made this a whole lot harder than it had to be.’

He deftly whipped his belt over Felicity’s head and pulled her back, quickly fastening the buckle and tightening it so that Felicity was struggling to breathe.

‘Dad, please!’ Jasmine said between sobs. Calling him that felt strange given what he was doing, and what she had just seen him do inside the house. She wanted to appeal to his better nature but she didn’t think he had one. He didn’t care about her, he didn’t care about anyone. Everything he did was self-preservation, so he could carry on with his sick proclivities.