Nick glanced at Bella and saw her deep in conversation with Richard’s mum. The boy appeared utterly terrified when he saw Nick and his mum’s face reddened as Bella, with an unusually stern expression, explained something to her. Richard’s mum, taking his hand firmly, marched him away, her eyes on the ground.

Eventually, all the children went home so it was only Nick left, and moving through the door that joined the classrooms, Bella went and stood with Mrs White.

Miss Radcliffe stepped forwards. ‘Mr Cowley, I’m so sorry. Please come in and we’ll explain everything.’

He pulled the thick woollen hat off his head and scrunched it in his fingers. As soon as he stepped through the door, Freddie launched out of his seat and into his arms, sobbing quietly. ‘Hey, mate,’ Nick said, rubbing the back of his head, feeling his soft silky hair in his fingers. ‘It’s okay. I’ve got you. And we’ll get this sorted out, okay? I’ve got you, little man.’

Freddie lifted his head to stare at his dad, tears running down his cheeks. Nick cupped his face and began to wipe them away with his thumbs, using every ounce of self-control he had to bite back the alarm rising inside him. He studied Freddie’s face for cuts and bruises, but he was unharmed.

‘Amias pushed me over and kept punching and kicking me.’ He buried his head against Nick’s stomach and Nick folded himself over, squeezing him tight. ‘And he said things about Mum.’

Nick’s heart rate sped up. ‘Oh, mate. Don’t worry about what he said. He doesn’t know anything.’ He studied Bella, then Miss Radcliffe, then Mrs White. ‘What happened?’

Miss Radcliffe went through everything, then Mrs White explained what she and Bella had discovered through their investigation of events. Though she didn’t say as much, it was clear to him that Amias had gone for Freddie, pure and simple. He’d waited until Freddie was out of sight of the teachers, chased him and pushed him down onto the cold, wet ground to then punch and kick him. If that wasn’t bad enough, when she mentioned the things he’d said about Paige it was like his blood was on fire. It had taken months for Nick to convince Freddie subtly and quietly that his mum had left because she wanted something different but that she loved him all the same. How much damage had Amias done with his cruel, unnecessary words?