‘Forget it,’ she says, turning back to me with a wounded expression. ‘Why don’t you take it to Connor’s? In fact, why don’t you just move in with him tonight? And I don’t need your help finding anyone to live here either. I can look after myself.’

7. Now

Bains turns the page of his notes, centres them, then looks up at me with an unblinking stare.

‘So, would you like to tell me about Jackie Dawkins?’

Memories of that evening blindside me. Connor’s mother screaming. I just wanted it to stop. I look at Frank Solomon, beside me. He shakes his head.

‘Okay,’ says Bains. ‘Maybe I can fill you in.’

He looks down at his notes and starts to read.

‘The attack on Mrs Dawkins came right in the middle of your viewing spree, didn’t it?’

He looks up at me, waiting for a response. I won’t give him the satisfaction. Instead, I look at my hands. My nail polish is chipped and has left a red crescent moon on my thumbnail. I stare at it as Bains continues.

‘You were still viewing houses you couldn’t afford,’ he says, his flat, northern vowels digging into my skull. ‘You were angry, full of frustration. I’m right, aren’t I?’

I scratch at the red crescent moon until it starts to disappear, leaving a pink stain on the nail. I don’t want to hear what Bains is about to say. I want to block him out, but I can’t.

‘You walked in that day and found Jackie Dawkins at the flat. She was there to comfort her son, your ex-partner, Connor, because he was at the end of his tether.’

I dig my nails into my palms, willing myself not to respond, not to lose my temper.

‘He’d had weeks of erratic behaviour from you,’ continues Bains, slamming his hand down on the desk. ‘Going AWOL, drinking heavily, causing arguments, losing your temper. He was trapped in a toxic, abusive relationship and he had no one to turn to but his mother. But Jackie wasn’t scared of you. She confronted you about your behaviour. Asked you why you were treating her son so badly, and you, Vanessa, you snapped, didn’t you?’

I shake my head.

‘You didn’t like being told a few home truths,’ he says. ‘Particularly from a woman so close to Connor. Because Connor was your property, wasn’t he? You wanted him all to yourself, didn’t you? That’s what you used to tell him, “You’re mine.” And here was Jackie Dawkins getting in the way of that. You didn’t like that, did you?’

‘He’s twisting my words,’ I say, unable to hold back any longer. ‘He’s doing this on purpose. To get me back for ending the relationship.’