‘He’ll be on the sex offenders list and monitored though, won’t he?’ Magnus said.

‘I’ve a feeling he’s already working out a way around that,’ Archie said. ‘And we’re probably helping him.’

They walked on in silence across the now-deserted yards to the high wall and exit door. The clunk of the lock just served to remind Magnus of the imminent departure of Old Alec, released back into the world again. A world he hadn’t been in for close on fifteen years.

As Archie said goodbye before ushering Magnus through, he gave him his final thoughts on the matter.

‘You know this idea that men who abuse children do it because they were abused themselves? Well, just imagine if all the girls and women who’ve ever been abused decided to do the same? Where would we all be then, Professor?’

9

Karen checked her watch for the umpteenth time. Was she going or wasn’t she? Her indecision had grown with each passing moment. She’d risen at the usual time, determined to go, despite having had so little sleep.

In fact, her brain had been turning like a concrete mixer all night, churning memories and thoughts together much like it had done after Jack’s death. The problem was, occasionally there was a moment when she thought that what she was remembering might be the truth.

It was as though the imagined sighting of the crow in her sitting room, followed by the dead shadow of Toby, had opened a gate to the past. Just a little, but enough to tell her that there was more to come.

And that was what Karen was afraid of.

The kettle having boiled, she made herself a mug of tea and switched on the radio. It had been her lifeline since Jack died. It provided voices to listen to rather than focusing on her own traumatized thoughts. If it hadn’t been for the radio, her drinking would have been even worse than it had been. And that was bad enough.

She’d started drinking as Jack’s health had deteriorated. It had been the way she got through the days and the nights. Jack, in his dementia, had swiftly forgotten who she was. Every attempted conversation had left Karen with the feeling that they had never met. That she was as much a stranger to their life together as he undoubtedly was.

That maybe she wasn’t even real.

But occasionally, just occasionally, the light in his eyes would shine and he would see her again and say her name. My Karen. Those moments were precious but grew few and far between.

Alcohol had blurred the horror of her world enough for her to deal with it. Plus she kept telling herself that there was a way out for her. When Jack went, she could go too. But, in the interim, she had to stay alive to look after Jack. And to do that she needed to drink. After he went from her, she would be free to choose her own end.