Mark, Jake, Stephen, Kira, Lloyd, Liz and Caleb.

Do I really believe one of them would have hurt my son? Seven months ago I wouldn’t have. But now?

I move my thumb over the thick, clunky buttons and hit ‘send’.

Chapter 60

20.16.

20.17.

20.18.

In my house Mark, Jake and Stephen are still in the kitchen. They drift into view, then out again. Mark and Stephen’s arms are still crossed. Their expressions are strained. As I watch, Jake walks past the landing window towards the bedrooms. Seconds later he walks back the other way and reappears in the kitchen. Liz’s front door remains closed.

20.19.

20.20.

20.21.

My heart catches in my throat as the door to Liz’s house flies open and Lloyd storms out, his palms pressed to his temples. A split second later Liz appears behind him with Caleb at her side.

‘A baby?’ she screams as Lloyd marches down the garden path. Caleb grabs her arm and tries to wrestle her back into the house but she shakes him off and runs after her husband.

‘You want me to sell the house so you can have a baby with some slag you met at work?’ she shouts as Lloyd heads for the Alfa Romeo. The sidelights flash as he points his key fob at it.

‘Melissa,’ he shouts back. ‘She has a name and she’s more of a lady than you’ll ever be.’

‘What about him?’ Liz turns and points towards Caleb. ‘He’s your child too. Or have you forgotten that?’

She launches herself at Lloyd, arms whirling. One of her hands makes contact with the side of his head and he twists away, an arm raised to protect himself as he wrenches at the car door.

‘Mum, don’t! He’s not worth it.’ Caleb appears at her side and tries to pull her away but she shakes him off and lunges at Lloyd again.

‘Listen to Caleb,’ Lloyd shouts as his son wraps his arms around his angry, squirming mother and lifts her clean off her feet. ‘You’re embarrassing yourself.’

Liz howls with rage but Caleb is too strong and she can only watch as Lloyd slips into the driver’s seat, slams the door and starts the engine. As the car pulls away Liz’s howls turn to sobs. My heart twists in my chest as Caleb gently sets her back on her feet, then turns her back towards the path and half-leads, half-carries her back into the house.

As the front door of number 10 closes I look back at the phone.

20.25. No reply to the text I sent.

20.26.

20.27.