Daniel took a step nearer. Her smudgy make-up and her smile reminded him of the clown he’d had at one of his birthday parties once when he was little. The clown had smiled all the time but it was sort of fake, like it was supposed to be nice but was actually just creepy and scary. He’d been scared of clowns ever since.

‘How do you know Lucy’s on her way?’ he said.

‘She told me.’ She beckoned him closer. ‘Don’t you want your surprise?’

‘Umm, OK.’

She held out her hand, opening her palm to reveal a clear yellow plastic lighter.

‘It’s yours, isn’t it? Not much fuel left now, sorry. Gives a heck of a good flame though, doesn’t it?’

Daniel blinked raindrops out of his eyes, the words coming out before he could stop them.

‘Was it you that made the fire?’

She held the lighter closer to him, her smile widening.

‘Hope you didn’t mind me borrowing it.’

‘It’s fine, it doesn’t matter. Thanks.’

As he reached out to take it, Jennifer’s other hand shot out and grabbed his arm tight, her grip like steel rods squeezing the bones of his wrist.

She dropped the lighter and dragged him towards the edge of the cliff.

Chapter 80

80

I heard him before I saw him, his cries cutting through the roar of the storm on the hillside.

‘Ow, you’re hurting me! Mum! Dad, help—’

Then nothing.

Rivulets of rainwater poured in streams towards the gorge and I stumbled on as the rain lashed down, catching a glimpse of figures through the trees before losing my footing in the wet and crashing onto all fours. Scrambling back to my feet, mud smeared up my arms and legs, I plunged on until I reached the clearing.

My heart stopped beating.

Jennifer was holding Daniel right at the very edge of the cliff. His feet were half on, half off the rocky promontory, the front of his sandals hanging in thin air above the drop, arms held out for balance. The back of his T-shirt was bunched in her fist, gym-toned muscles standing out on her strong right arm.

One quick shove would send him over the edge.

Daniel turned to look at me over his shoulder, eyes bulging with terror, cheek blazing red from a fresh blow. Next to Jennifer’s tall frame he looked tiny and thin and vulnerable.

‘Mummy!’ he gasped, his voice strangled with panic.

I tried to speak but no words would come, my jaw locked with fright. The terror was rising up inside me, filling my chest, filling my throat, bile rising into my mouth. I felt sick. With my hands held up in a gesture of surrender, I took another step towards them.