Says he, Tam, how are ye? Then he looks at us, the steaming bathtub. Who’s this then?

Daddy Ivan was behind him. Says he, These are my sister’s grandchildren. They’re just here to visit for a lock o’ days.

Daddy Tam came between me and Esther and took us each by the hand.

Says he, Just here for a lock o’ days to help out about the place.

Says the policeman, Oh, aye? Nice to meet you, girls. Here, I was supposed to pick up some beef from the butcher’s for the missus, but I sort of didn’t get around to it. Would yous have a wee joint you could spare? I’ll pay for it, like. Not even a good cut, just something she can stick in the pot for the Sunday dinner.

I felt Daddy Tam’s fingers squeezing mine awful hard, and I knew he was doing the same to Esther. I thought she was going to say nothing. Nobody said anything. We all stood there not making a sound, the policeman looking from one to the other.

No worries if you can’t, like, says he.

Help us, Esther says.

Behind the policeman, Daddy Ivan looked at the floor, his shoulders dropped, and he shook his head. I saw Daddy George, then, in the hall, coming up behind them.

Says the policeman, What, love?

I looked at the policeman’s belt, the gun he had in a pocket there. I didn’t know it was called a holster or a pistol, but I knew what it was.

Help us, Esther says. They’re keeping us prisoners here. Us and two others. They’re locked in the cellar.

The policeman stared at her a wee moment, this look on his face like he didn’t know if she was codding or not. His eyes were darting about all over the place, from one of us to the other, like he was waiting for someone to explain what was going on.

It was Daddy Ivan who spake up next.

She’s playing a joke, says he, patting the policeman’s shoulder. She’s a bold girl. That’s why the two of them was sent here. Their granny thought some farm work would put some manners into them.

It’s not a joke, says Esther. Help us.

There was a quake in her voice now. I could see the tears ready to fall from her eyes. She looked down at me, and I swear, my voice was gone. I wanted to speak. I wanted awful badly to ask that policeman to take me away from that house, to take me anywhere but there. But I could only open my mouth.