‘… when his car pulled up and he got out, looking even more creepy and unkempt than I remembered him, I knew straight away that I had made a mistake. His eyes were all glassy and he had really wet lips that he kept licking. He couldn’t seem to look at me directly and I thought maybe he was drunk, or high on something. I gave it to him straight: told him that he had almost broken me once before with his unwanted attention. I was so determined to stay strong, but I became emotional, remembering what a terrible time it had been before, and begged him to leave me alone.

‘And that was when he lunged at me. He managed to get his arms around me for a split second, but it was long enough to feel his wet lips against my neck and to smell his rank body. All the other cars in the car park had gone and I was alone with him. I thought, This is it. He’s going to rape me then kill me. I managed to shove him away and I ran down to the coastal path, the one you and I have walked so many times in happier circumstances. You know how we are always saying that they should put a fence along that one section of it that goes close to the cliff edge?’

Anya slipped off the sofa and sat on her knees in front of me. She took my hands in hers and looked into my eyes as she stuttered out the rest of this terrible story. I squeezed her hands, unable to speak for the moment.

‘He chased after me and I could hear him gaining,’ she said, ‘despite the fact that he was older and more unfit. I don’t know, you hear about people getting superhuman strength or speed in times of high emotion, don’t you?’

A long, ragged breath in and out.

‘And maybe that’s what saved me,’ she said and gave a strangled laugh that turned into a sob. ‘He caught hold of my wrist,’ she continued. ‘I turned and shoved him with both hands, harder than I could have believed possible. And then …’ she swallowed, a kind of wonder on her face. ‘Then he wasn’t there any more.’

‘Shit,’ I said on a drawn-out breath, before leaning back against the chair and releasing her hands.