It was painful watching Charlie try to eat that pie. Anyone would think he was consuming something putrid and rotten, the way his eyes watered and his face grew steadily pale.

“I don’t like it!” he said. “It tastes like eel!”

“Charlie, you wouldn’t even know what eel tastes like!”’ Kate replied. “Please just finish your dinner. You’re not getting down from this table until you do.”

So Charlie carried on taking tiny baby bites of the pie. He was still only halfway through by the time we’d long finished. Finally he laid down his fork and said, “Please, Mummy, can I go to my room?”

“Not until you’ve—” Kate began, but that was as far as she got before Charlie leaned forward and 245vomited all over the table.

Kate and I immediately leaped to our feet. I expected Dad to do the same, especially as he was the one sitting closest to Charlie, but weirdly he remained where he was, gazing out of the window, as if he wasn’t aware of what had happened. In all the commotion, Charlie shot off to his bedroom, and between us Kate and I soon had the mess cleaned up.

“I just don’t know what to do about this, Nathan,” Kate said, as she took her seat. “I thought it would settle down after a while, but it’s getting worse. Look, perhaps Charlie and I should go home early? He can’t just not eat dinner for two weeks. Nathan? Are you even listening?”

Kate sounded frustrated, and I didn’t blame her. Dad wasn’t paying any attention at all. He was still looking out of the window, frowning.

“Are we … are we expecting a visitor?” he asked.

“What?” Kate stared at him. “No, of course not!”

Dad turned to her, his face troubled. “Oh. We’re not? But … I thought I saw somebody out there. And someone else is supposed to be here, aren’t they? What’s happened? Where have they gone?”

My breath caught in my throat. Surely he was 246talking about Rosie without realizing it?

“It’s just us, Nathan,” Kate snapped. Then she seemed to remember me and gathered herself. “Sorry, Jess,” she said. “But I think I need to speak to your dad by myself.”

“I was about to turn in anyway,” I said. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Kate replied.

Dad said nothing. He was staring out of the window again.

I made my way upstairs, intending to check on Charlie. As I got closer to his room, I could hear a weird crunching noise coming from inside. The door was closed but I pushed it open without knocking and then froze in shock in the doorway.

“Charlie!” I gasped. “What are you doing?”