‘I am a bit worried, actually,’ he says.

‘Okay, well, let’s discuss that, shall we?’ Apprehension fills me.

He walks on in silence until we reach a bench overlooking the lake. He goes on ahead and sits down, then turns to me and pats the bench beside him. I sit with him and wait for him to speak. I feel this needs to be done in his own time, without me rushing him.

‘I don’t want to live here anymore,’ he says. ‘I want to leave. I am scared about going so far away, but not as scared as I am being in our house right now.’

Oh, my God. This wasn’t what I was expecting. The fluttering inside my chest grows more violent. I’m not sure how to tackle this. I swallow, my saliva catching on the hard lump in my throat.

‘How come you’re scared in our house?’ I curse inwardly. I’m betting all of this stems from my stupid, neurotic behaviour following the open-house event.

‘Leo’s nightmares aren’t just dreams. They’re real, Mum.’

‘I know they can seem that way, Fin, but—’

‘No. You don’t get it. They don’t seem real, they are. Haven’t you heard the noises in the night? And things keep moving. Your picture has gone, didn’t you see?’

‘Yes, I did notice.’ I can’t think of anything else to say – I don’t want to lie to him. ‘I thought maybe you took it to start with.’

‘Why would I want to take it?’

‘I don’t know, really. I wondered if you might be feeling a bit left out because all the attention was on Leo. And because I’m always thinking about the move and fussing over everything being clean and tidy in the house …’

‘I’m not feeling left out, Mum. I’m fine. I get enough attention from Nanna and Dad.’

My stomach drops. He’s saying he’s not getting attention from me, though, which is terrible. ‘So, you’re not getting up in the night and moving the things yourself?’ I laugh, to try to make light of it. But he stares at me, a serious expression on his pale, round face.

‘No, Mum. That’s someone else. I was afraid it was that man—’

‘What man?’ I cut in.

‘The one who’s been watching us. But then I thought it might be Nanna because she is always telling me and Leo how much she loves us and doesn’t want us to go.’

This makes sense. And if Finley has also considered it, then I need to speak with Barb as soon as possible. ‘So, you think she’s somehow watching over you?’

‘Maybe. I think she took the picture for sure.’

‘What makes you say that?’ I cock my head.