As for him having Greg’s debit card, the police can only assume that Jackson took it and went to Brighton to try and make everyone believe Greg was still alive, that he’d just walked out on his life. Sienna knows this just shows his desperation; at thirteen years old he didn’t comprehend that this would only raise more questions.

She sees Abby walking towards her and gives a tentative wave. Things are much better now between them, given that neither of them is suspicious of the other, and Sienna still hopes that their friendship will withstand this.

When Abby reaches the bench Sienna sits on, she notices that Abby’s changed her hairstyle yet again. This time it’s shorter, highlighted with golden streaks. Perhaps she wanted to shed the person that she was. Have a new beginning. It always starts with a makeover, Sienna realises.

She stands up and hugs Abby. ‘Thanks for meeting me here. I know it must be difficult.’

‘Somehow it doesn’t feel weird. Not now that we know what happened to him.’

‘We may never know the full details, though,’ Sienna reminds her, although perhaps this is better. She still can’t make up her mind about that. She’s sure that if Jackson does start talking, offering details of why he and Greg argued, and how it resulted in such a heinous attack, then Sienna may never get the images out of her head. This way, at least, she can remember Greg how he was.

‘So he’s still not talking?’

‘No. They’ve got child psychiatrists working with him but nothing so far.’

‘And how’s Holly doing?’

‘Not good. She blames herself for not seeing that there was something wrong, and for working so much that Jackson was able to keep this from her all that time.’

‘It’s all such a mess,’ Abby says. ‘But it’s not your mess, remember.’ Abby has spent the last couple of months trying to convince Sienna that she needs to step away from this, for her own well-being.

‘Jackson’s my stepson,’ Sienna says. ‘I owe it to him to try and help him.’

‘I know that’s what you want, but you can’t help him. The doctors will do that. And the police. And his mother. Please don’t forget that he was staying at your house, even though he knew what he’d done. It was so calculated, Sienna.’

‘He’s still just a child.’

‘I know. There is no right thing to do, is there?’

Sienna tells her about the letter she’s written to him, telling him that she forgives him and hopes that one day he can accept what he’s done and take responsibility for it. She hasn’t sent it to him yet, maybe she never will, but it’s there, just in case.

‘You’re a good person, Sienna,’ Abby says.

‘Have you heard from Rob?’ Sienna asks.