Somewhere, at some time, she had missed some vital step with Lizzy. It was up to her to rectify that as best she could. And rectify it she would.

Snuggling into Patrick, she closed her eyes and let the memories drift in front of her closed lids.

The only thing she forgot to wonder was how Lizzy was going to feel about everything.

It was a mistake she would soon regret.

Kate felt the eyes of the desk sergeant boring into the back of her head as she signed the papers for her daughter’s release. She made her way to the cells with a heavy heart. The fact that Lizzy had been nicked was the talk of the station, she knew that. She passed Amanda Dawkins who smiled at her sympathetically. Kate looked away. As the cell was unlocked she held her breath. Lizzy was sitting cross-legged on a mattress on the floor. Her make-up was smeared over her face and her hair was a mass of tangles. She looked defiantly into her mother’s face as the door opened.

‘So you’ve come then?’

Kate swallowed deeply. ‘Get up, Lizzy.’

The girl pulled herself from the mattress and stood with one hand on her hip, in an aggressive pose. The duty officer shook his head in wonder. If she was his daughter he’d give her a smack she wouldn’t forget in a hurry.

‘Come on, get your things, we’re going home.’ Kate’s voice was low. She turned to the duty officer, a man called Higgins. He was nearly fifty and Kate could see the pity in his eyes.

‘Has she eaten?’

‘Not a thing, love, but we made her drink the orange juice. It brings them down you know, the Vitamin C.’

‘Yeah, I know. Come on, let’s get out of here.’

‘I want Dad to come and get me.’ This was said through gritted teeth.

‘He can’t come so you’ll have to make do with me. Now come on, Liz, I’m not in the mood for games.’

Lizzy sneered, then sat back down again. ‘I’ll just have to wait for Dad then, won’t I?’

‘You’re coming home with me now, Lizzy.’

She grinned annoyingly. ‘I’m going to do whatever I want, Mum. I’m through with you and Gran always telling me what you want, what you expect me to be . . .’

Kate felt herself reddening. She tried desperately to control her voice.

‘We can talk about this at home, Lizzy. This is neither the time nor the place.’

‘Really? Funny that, because you seem to spend enough time here. I’d have thought this was the place for you, Mum, more than anywhere else.’

‘I’m telling you for the last time, Liz, get up and let’s go home. We can talk this through, make some sense out of it.’

Lizzy laughed out loud, her mouth wide with mirth. ‘That’s about right for you, isn’t it? Let’s analyse everything. Let’s find the hidden meaning in everything. Oh, fuck off, Mum. You sound like a bad play!’