‘What the hell’s going on here, Kate?’ Dan’s voice was incredulous.

She was pulling underwear from a drawer and searching every piece as she picked it up.

‘Lizzy is at this moment in Grantley Police Station on a charge of possession of cannabis.’ Her voice was thick with fury.

‘What!’ Evelyn held her hand to her heart. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Oh, I’m sure all right. I know what my own daughter looks like.’

She pulled the drawer from its hole and examined the underneath. There, taped to the bottom, was a small plastic bag of amphetamines. Kate ripped it off and shoved it in the pocket of her jacket.

‘Look, Kate, relax for a second and tell us what happened. There must be some mistake.’

‘There’s no mistake, Dan. I thought that as well, until I saw her. I was called from the incident room by the desk sergeant who recognised her. She was in a squat in Tillingdon Place. Yes, Tillingdon Place, the biggest dump in Grantley, and she was tripping out of her head.’

‘No.’ Evelyn felt sick inside.

‘Yes, Mum. Now will you two just get out? I must find out what she’s got, what’s going on. I got the duty doctor to give her a blood test, for my eyes only. I could break her bloody neck!’

‘Listen, Kate, maybe someone took her there and gave her the drugs . . .’

‘Oh, don’t you think I thought of that? Well, don’t you?’ She rounded on Dan. ‘I went into the cell and she told me to fuck off out of it. Those were her exact words. She was shouting and swearing at everyone. I have never been so humiliated in all my life. Miss Goody Two Shoes hasn’t been to work for a week apparently. I went round to Joanie’s and she told me everything. Lizzy wasn’t at Joanie’s on New Year’s Eve, she was at that bloody rave! She’s nothing but a lying, scheming little bitch!’

She burst into tears. Evelyn went to her and put her arm around her shoulders.

‘I’ll make us all a cup of coffee, shall I? Dry your eyes, Katie, crying won’t solve anything.’

‘I did everything I possibly could for that girl. We treated her well, tried to bring her up decently. Why has she done this to us? To herself? It’s as if I never knew her.’

Evelyn kissed the top of her head.

‘Sure there’s plenty of people must have said the same thing after a visit from you, love. You bring your children up, you do your best, but in the end they go their own way.’