She tucked the gun into the waistband of her skirt and hauled herself, puffing with exertion, over the edge of the pool, down a rusty iron ladder at what was once the shallow end. Meredith palmed the knife once more then, still clutching it, unhooked the clasps on the bib of her dungarees, and let them slip off to the floor. The darkness was a help – neither Caitlin nor Graeme should be able to see that she was holding anything.

The air was cool, particularly on her piss-wet thighs, but there was too much adrenaline flowing round her body to allow her to feel cold. She stripped off her T-shirt and bra, and hooked off her knickers, so intent on concealing the knife that she didn’t even feel shame at her nakedness. She had to do it fast, before Caitlin got close again.

In the pool, Caitlin laughed. ‘Look at that: what a show-off. Didn’t I say she was an exhibitionist? Nice tits too, what I can see of them. Shame it’s so dark in here.’

As Caitlin and Graeme took hold of Pete and hauled him to his feet, his head hanging like a crucified man’s, Meredith surreptitiously wedged the knife into her armpit. She’d briefly considered concealing it inside her vagina, but that would have been harder to do unnoticed, and harder to deploy fast if an opportunity to use it arose … As long as Caitlin didn’t make her walk with her arms in the air, this was probably the only option.

Pete moaned as the pair shoved him towards the ladder: a long, guttural sound that made Meredith’s skin crawl with sympathy and shared pain. What the fuck had Graeme done to him? It was too dark to see if he had any obvious injuries or was bleeding. But as they reached the steps again, he was able to grasp its rails. They shoved him up, each with a meaty hand on one of his buttocks, but he seemed too far gone to care.

Finally he reached the top of the ladder and flopped over on the tiles at her feet, twisting and gasping like a landed fish. Meredith couldn’t stop herself rushing towards him.

‘Stop,’ barked Caitlin, the gun again trained on her. Then she slowly swung it round to Pete. ‘You touch him and I’ll shoot you both right here.’

‘Pete,’ Meredith said, unable to prevent a strangled sob escaping. ‘I’m so sorry.’

He couldn’t speak, but their eyes met in a silent glint of love and desperation. I love you, Meredith mouthed, and he nodded, once, although it was too dark for him to have seen. He must have just known.

‘Up,’ Caitlin commanded. Graeme had joined her and was staring at the twins with an expression of gleeful fascination on his face.