I don’t blame Meddie for fleeing abroad, but Peter’s my son. He is the sum of my mistakes. And so I will always be here for him. I will always love him. It’s too late now to tell anyone what really happened at the Glass House, because any proof was destroyed years ago when the house was torn down to prevent it becoming a ghoulish shrine. But I will be at his parole board application, and I will tell them they should never release my son, although I’m fairly certain they won’t listen.

I’ll remind them of the fable of the scorpion and the frog. I’ll tell them my son shouldn’t be blamed for what he did to Tom because he can’t help who he is, or the way he was wired; but that he’s not sorry, is incapable of being sorry, and if they release him, he will sting again.

I will tell them it’s just in his nature.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My lovely sister, Philly, my beautiful broken butterfly, died very suddenly just as I was finishing this novel. Losing her at 53, after the death of my baby brother Charles at just 40 seven years ago, has broken my heart. My last novel, Stolen, was dedicated to Philly: she was tickled pink. I know they’re both cheering me on from somewhere, and I hold them in my heart with every word I write. Thank you, sweet sister, for showing me what love truly means.

I am so very lucky to have such a brilliant and committed team behind me at Avon and HarperCollins which has worked tirelessly to get my books into the hands – and ears! – of readers in what has been another very challenging year for all of us. I could not hope for better publishers, and I thank all those who’ve laboured behind the scenes to make this novel a success.

Special thanks to my wonderful new editor, Cara Chimirri, who has been such a fabulous cheerleader for my books, and has made this novel so much better in every way. It’s a joy to work with you.

Thanks also to my brilliant agent, Rebecca Ritchie, for her passionate support and endless patience in the face of my self-doubt. Your friendship means the world to me.

And thanks to my marvellous copy editor, Rhian McKay, for her meticulous eye for detail. Your deft catches have saved me so much embarrassment!

Ellie Pilcher and Ella Young in Marketing, Sammy Luton in Sales, my lovely PR Becci Mansell, Claire Ward, Elisha Lundin, Charlotte Brown (those Audio sales are amazing!), Robyn Watts, Melissa Okusanya, Dean Russell, and in the US Jean Marie Kelly and Emily Gerbner – you are all so fabulous at what you do, and your energy and enthusiasm are what makes Avon such a wonderful home for my novels. Thank you all.