Donna replied in a voice filled with pain, ‘That girl grew up, Dolly, the day her old man got eighteen years and she was forced to live in the real world. Shall I tell you something? If nothing else good comes out of all this trouble with Georgio, at least I grew up, Dolly. And not before time! Now I have to find out what’s going on. I have to know the score, and to do that I have to go out to Sri Lanka in person.’

‘And what if you find out something you don’t want to know? What if you find out something that’ll break your heart?’

Donna swallowed and said, ‘I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.’

Dolly walked from the kitchen. Looking back from the doorway she said, ‘Well, I hope it keeps fine for you.’

Donna watched her walk away and felt the familiar lurch of fear in her chest.

She opened her bag and looked at the photo of Georgio she always kept with her; as her eyes travelled over his handsome features she told herself, over and over, that Stephen Brunos was behind everything . . . not her Georgio, who would soon be home with her. Then everything would be all right once more.

At Heathrow, Donna boarded the plane alone. She had bought the seat beside her as well to ensure she was not troubled with conversation on the flight. She was bone weary, tired and irritable. As she took her seat she placed a small briefcase on the seat beside her and settled herself for the long flight.

No matter what Dolly said or insinuated, Donna would never believe that Georgio was involved in anything to do with child pornography - even though common sense told her that Dolly not denying it was strange in itself. Dolly thought the sun shone out of Georgio Brunos, she always had. It was Maeve who had always harboured suspicions about her son. Maeve with whom Donna would never have discussed this present crisis. Because she would probably have agreed with Dolly.

A man sitting in the aisle seat opposite smiled at her briefly. Donna ignored him and looked out of the window once more. She sensed his discomfiture and found herself enjoying it. It was men who bought the filth she had seen displayed on her kitchen table. Without men, there would be no demand for it. You never heard of women buying child pornography.