I swallow hard, propelling myself over the invisible line separating this phase of my life from the next, which is opening up in front of me faster than I can blink.

‘Since I shopped him. Since … Dom, I was the one who turned everyone in. It was me. I’m Girl A. At least, I used to be.’

Dominic whistles into the howl of the engine as Carly leaps into the air, suspended in a perfect star.

‘But now you need to tell me everything,’ I gabble, the words suddenly falling out of my mouth. ‘Everything you’ve found out about that captain, that general, and what he did.’

‘Wait a second,’ he says. ‘You’re telling me you think Parish was your dad? You mean you don’t know?’

‘I never met him. He was long gone before I was even born. And then he died sometime after that. At least, they told us he died…’

‘What do you mean? Who told you? When?’

‘The army. It all happened when I was little. They showed up with his dues after he was killed in action someplace. At least that’s what they said had happened. We never knew him.’

‘Hang on, Marie. Just stop for a second—’

‘Tell me everything,’ I shout, punching at him, suddenly overcome by fury. ‘You said it was a setup, engineered from the start. What do you mean? That we were picked off?’

‘Who’s we?’ He grabs my fist, pulling me towards him. ‘Help me, Marie. You can’t just tell me you think Parish was your dad and expect me to put the rest together. Five minutes ago we were just two hacks working the Andromeda investigation!’

‘She was my sister!’ I screech as the tears start to fall. ‘My sister … my baby sister … She was never supposed to get hurt…’

‘Who? Who was your sister?’

I sob, sinking to the floor, clasping my knees as I rock with the train. My sister. I can’t see anything else except her, warm, trusting and content in my arms. The only reason any of this ever happened.225

‘Marie…’ I feel his arms fold round me. ‘Do you mean Baby Girl A? Is that who you mean? She was your sister?’

I bury my head in my legs. This time nothing can stop the retch hurling up my throat. The train roars with me as we rock and roll, rock and roll, everything around me, inside and out, just screaming, screaming, screaming.

‘OK,’ Dominic says, somewhere over my head. ‘How about we do this … I’ll ask you questions, all you have to do is nod or shake. OK?’

He starts as I look up, his face a curious mixture of horror, sympathy and shock.