All of them had received counselling after it had happened, but Rosie was the only one who had kept it up. For Hannah, it was so long ago, she could barely remember what exactly had been said, but she hadn’t carried on. Her therapist had shown a severe lack of empathy, instead preferring to tell Hannah how and what she should be feeling. No wonder it had such little benefit.

She wouldn’t talk to Liam, not without first discussing it with the others, but equally, she was no longer ruling it out.

She toyed with calling him, needing to know more about the book, but then she had a better idea and found the card he had given her. He had scribbled the address of the Airbnb where he was staying on the back of the card.

Ten minutes later, she was sat on the low wall outside the flats and waiting for a taxi to arrive, pulling on the jumper she had brought with her to ward off the early-evening chill.

It was a reminder of what was to come as September crept closer to October, bringing longer nights and falling temperatures. Hannah loved the beauty of autumn, though she hated the dark and dreary weeks that followed.

Preoccupied, she wasn’t aware of the car parked further along the street or the man who was watching her, his fist clenching and unclenching around a stress ball, as he tried to control his rage.

Moments later, her taxi arrived and as she got in, confirming Liam’s address, she remained in blissful ignorance as they passed the parked car, unaware when it started to follow.

18

She would be safe here.

That was what Bill had told her when he moved her to the cottage.

Probably because it was in the middle of fucking nowhere, but Eileen had to admit her boy had done well.

She had been unsure when he had first proposed moving, especially when he didn’t want her to tell her probation officer where she was going. Bill was convinced that if the authorities knew where she was, the press would soon learn too. It was safer this way.

Besides, his friend had done them a favour, allowing them to stay in his late father’s house, and he wouldn’t want any attention drawn to him. The place was a bit dated and run-down, but it was better than the cell she had called home for twenty years and at least she didn’t have to live in fear that someone might try to break in or set it on fire.

Bill stayed close while she got settled and it was good to know she still had his devotion, that he hung on to her every word.