‘Ciara, I didn’t do it,’ I repeat. ‘I had nothing to do with it,’ I mutter, but she just shakes her head.

‘I think it would be better to go to the police before they come to you. To tell them before they find their evidence, you know. Don’t they say that these things are always better for you if you come forward yourself? I’ll go with you. We can go now, once you’re finished feeding Lily.’

Her voice has risen an octave or two, become quicker. Her eyes are more manic. She is caught up in her own storm and she isn’t listening to anything I say.

‘Or I could just call them now, you know. I’m sure that DI Bradley would come over if I asked him.’

My chest tightens. Lily wriggles, responding to my body tensing. I lift her up onto my shoulder as Ciara tries to pull herself to her feet, moving towards the phone on the table.

She’s not listening to me. She’s convinced, no matter what I say, that I did it. And I know, despite her apologies and her tears, that she is very good at making people believe her.

Maybe all this, all these tears and confessions, have just been an act as well. I wouldn’t put it past her. It’s just a way of manipulating me further – of making me take the fall for her. The most disgusting of all her attempts to hurt me.

Could she be covering up for her own actions? She had the same reasons to hate him as I did. And there’s no denying that she hates me, too. That doesn’t just disappear in the course of one conversation, no matter the topic.

‘Ciara, stop it! You’re not listening. I didn’t do it. I swear on Lily’s life, I didn’t do it. I wouldn’t do anything that would risk me being taken away from her.’

‘Lily will be fine.’ Ciara brushes off my pleas. ‘I bet you won’t even serve time, once they know.’

She reaches for the phone and I scramble to my feet, my daughter still in my arms.

‘Stop it!’ I’m screaming now. ‘You’re not phoning the police. I won’t let you.’

‘Are you threatening me?’ she asks. ‘If you think you can intimidate me into taking the blame for something you’ve done, you can think again.’

She’s twisting everything and I can’t keep up. My head hurts.

‘I’m not threatening you,’ I plead, trying to reach out to her.

She shrugs and turns away from me, grabbing the phone with a shaking hand. ‘All this could be over and done with if you’d just admit it. Have we not all suffered enough at this stage? I feel like we’ve suffered enough … And anyone can see you were distracted with everything. Not in your right mind.’

‘Ciara!’ I say firmly, my hand on her shoulder, spinning her round to face me. I know I’m in her face and I’m intimidating her now. ‘You’re not listening to me. I didn’t do it. Why would it be me? You’ve as much of a motive as I have …’