‘She’s dead,’ Mary tells him, her voice shockingly calm. ‘I killed her but I had no choice.’

Robert snaps his stricken gaze towards his wife. ‘My God, are you serious?’

She nods. ‘She tried to take Charlotte from me but I wouldn’t let her.’

‘What did you do?’

‘I hit her with the hammer over there. It was the only way I could get her to let go of my throat.’

Robert spots the hammer next to the body, the blood on the face of it, and he feels his jaw go tight, making it hard to speak.

‘Please tell me it isn’t true,’ he manages to utter.

‘It’s not something I’d make up, Robert. It happened about twenty minutes ago and if I thought she could have been saved I would have called an ambulance. I did it in a moment of madness. I was trying to protect our baby.’

‘What do you mean?’ He steps closer to her. ‘That’s Megan you’re holding. Not Charlotte.’

Something happens to Mary’s face then. It’s as though a sudden realisation has dawned on her and she isn’t sure how to react to it.

‘Oh my God,’ she mumbles as she looks down at the baby in her arms. ‘I made a mistake. I really thought … I thought she was Charlotte.’

Robert’s heart is thudding out of control now and his throat is so tight he’s struggling to get air into his lungs.

‘What the hell is going on, Mary?’ he manages. ‘Where is Charlotte? Where is my daughter?’

Mary blinks back tears. ‘Charlotte is dead, Robert. She passed away earlier and there was nothing I could do to save her.’

Disbelief shapes his features. ‘No, that can’t be right. You’re lying. Please tell me you’re lying.’

She shakes her head. ‘It’s true, my love. It was cot death. She died in her sleep. I came here to tell you and when I saw Megan, I thought she was Charlotte. As I went to pick her up Amanda attacked me.’

Robert’s mind suddenly moves beyond the horrific scene before him and he realises the consequences of what has happened. Any second now Simon will come through the door to the cellar and find out that his wife has been murdered by her friend. The shock will be unbearable for him and Robert dreads to think how he’ll react. He’ll no doubt call the police and when they come Mary will be arrested and likely spend the rest of her life in prison. And that’s not what Robert wants despite what his wife has done. He’ll be left alone to grieve for his daughter. He’ll lose everything and he’s not sure he’ll be able to cope by himself.