‘I keep telling him that he’s not. He’s alive. I need to believe that, almost as much as you do.’ Her fingers twitch on the tabletop and she glances away, towards the window and the busy street beyond the café. She’s thinking about her dad. He died a couple of years ago. Cancer, I think Jake said.

‘Sorry, Kira. I know this is hard for you too.’

‘Mmm.’ She presses her lips together.

I unzip my handbag and push a tissue across the table towards her. ‘Here.’

‘Thanks.’ She dabs underneath her eyes, then takes a deep breath. ‘I just wish … I wish none of this had happened. You’re such a lovely family and you’ve been so kind to me and it kills me to see you all so unhappy. It’s been awful watching Jake tear himself apart after Billy disappeared. Recently I felt like he was getting better. He was enjoying work and going out with his mates again but then the appeal brought everything back and—’

‘DS Forbes turned up.’

‘Yeah. I feel so awful for him but there’s nothing I can do, nothing I can say …’ Fresh tears take the place of the ones that have dried on her cheeks. ‘Do you ever wish you could run away, Claire?’

I think back to my conversation with Sonia, when she told me that my first fugue was my subconscious trying to run away from all the stress in my life. Kira might be nineteen but she’s already gone through so much – dead father, alcoholic mother and now this. She’s shouldering the weight of Jake’s grief and I’ve been so burdened by my own pain I haven’t considered that she might be suffering too.

‘Maybe what you and Jake need is to get away for the weekend? Book a hotel, go to Bath or Weston for—’

She shakes her head.

‘Okay, maybe not. Too close to home.’ I force a smile. ‘How about South Wales? Dad knows someone with a cottage there. I’m sure he’d do mates rates. I’ll tell Jake not to give me any rent money this week. We can manage without it. What do you think? You both need a break.’

‘I’m not sure Jake would come. I can’t even get him out of bed in the morning.’

‘That’s because he’s got nothing to look forward to but he’d do anything for you, Kira. You’re his whole world. You know that, don’t you?’

She nods dumbly, tears still glistening in her eyes.