She’d come too far. She had to press on.

“Where were you, Scott?”

“I needed some time. I drove to Weston and I sat in a café and read a bloody book, all right? I just needed a change of scenery… What’s happening here, with us, it takes a lot out of me.”

“Hmm. Is that the whole truth?”

“Yes.”

She studied his face. He was lying. Perhaps she could make him tell her, but she wasn’t sure. She didn’t want him to become too used to the punishment. He might become like Casey had been once, docile, staring dead-eyed up at the ceiling, a million miles away. She couldn’t allow him to detach.

“I don’t believe you.”

“I swear,” he said. “On Natalie’s life… on Natalie. That was all I did.”

“Because you loved Natalie so, so much.”

He flinched. “I did. You know that.”

“Right.” She rolled her eyes, suppressing the niggle, the note of imperfection in this grand song. “Do you want to know what I did when I realised you’d lied to me?”

His lips were trembling.

“I’m not much of a religious person,” she went on. “But today, it was like a gift from God. As I was leaving the school, there it was, lying on the ground, waiting for me.”

“A gift from God,” he whispered, and Casey swore for a second he was about to go all Jesus-freak on her. “What was it?”

“A dead rat.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be stupid.”

“I thought you might say that.”

Casey stood and walked to the sink, reaching into the underside counter and taking out the bundle of tissue paper. She carried it to the table, unwrapping it until the rat’s bony carcass fell away. It was nothing but a spine and ribs, all the meat stripped clean, all the hair gone, with no tail.

“Everything that isn’t on that.” Casey pointed at the carcass. “Is in that.” She pointed to Scott’s plate, and his sickened face made her giggle. It was a wonderful thing. She wanted to hug him for making her laugh. “Or that, I should say.” She gestured at his belly.

“This is a joke.”

“Is it?”

Scott’s hand flew up to cover his mouth. He ran for the hallway, for the downstairs bathroom.

It was too tempting. Casey stuck her foot out.

He fell flat on his face, the vomit erupting from between his clasped fingers. Casey’s laughter grew; this was it. She could feel it. Yes. It was happening. He rolled onto his side and puked all over the floor, shuddering, as blood streamed sideways down his face from his nose.

“Why?” the wretch moaned, voice tangled with vomit and crying and his weeping nostrils. “Just tell me why. Was it you? Were you and Natalie together? Is that it?”

“Together?” Casey smirked. “Is that what you think?”

“Please. Just tell me. I deserve to know.”

“Oh, sweet baby.” She knelt, softly stroking her fingers through his hair. “Look at you. But it can get so much worse.” He had to know that. He should’ve fought her; it was beneath contempt, his lack of action. “No money. No career. No hope. No self-respect. No friends. No home. Nothing. And then, if you ask very nicely, I might put you out of your misery.”