‘What did he want?’ Beau was standing on the stairs as I shut the door behind Zach. ‘He looked really angry.’

‘He was.’ Not just angry: tears had glittered in the boy’s eyes.

‘Why?’

‘Because’ – my own stomach felt tight – ‘he did something bad.’

‘What?’

‘Oh, Beau,’ I sighed. He was the most literal child. ‘It’s hard to explain.’

‘Willow likes him though.’ Beau followed me into the kitchen. ‘I heard her tell her friend Lola.’

‘Did she?’ I said vaguely. There was nothing in for their supper, and it was Birgitte’s night off. I was beyond cooking. Deliveroo pizzas would do. Or maybe that nice sushi place. Yes, sushi. Bit more nutritious.

‘Yes.’ Beau pushed his Lego Batman across the edge of the island. ‘She said, “He’s meant to be mine.”’

‘What do you mean, darling?’ I frowned at him. ‘Meant to be mine?’

‘That’s what Willow said.’ Batman swooped, fell to the floor with a clatter. ‘But I think she likes that other man more.’

Ruby

Clasping the railing tightly in my icy hands, I stared down over it.

Nothing. Just two young lads wheeling around the car park on BMXs, and an old lady waddling past with her shopping trolley, blaspheming at the encroaching night.

No Zach, sprawled on the tarmac.

I slid down to the balcony floor, hot tears in my eyes, cold concrete seeping through my jeans.

It took me a while to realise my phone was ringing inside.

‘Oh dear, Ruby.’ It was Pat from the vicarage, breathless, scared-sounding. ‘I think you’d better get over here quickly.’

‘Is it Zach? Is he OK?’ I was stuttering with panic. ‘Over where?’

‘To Melissa’s. Zach’s here. He’s OK, but he’s very upset, poor wee lad.’

Turning the corner of the square, breathless, I could see a figure crouched over Zach, as he sat on the edge of the kerb.

It was Melissa, I realised as I got nearer, and for a moment, I didn’t know what she was doing.

Was she angry? Attacking him?

I started to run faster.

By the time I arrived, I could see Zach was crying wretchedly – huge gut-wrenching sobs.

And Melissa, I realised as I reached them, was trying to comfort him.

‘It’s OK, honey,’ she was murmuring.

Zach, it appeared, had taken matters into his own hands and had gone to confront Cecilia, but Cecilia wasn’t at Rex’s today.

‘Laz called me.’ Pat was trailing the inevitable small child in her skirts. ‘He’s in a bit of a state, Ruby.’

‘Yes.’ Vaguely, I registered her skinny son, Laz, lurking in the shadows behind his mother as I dropped to the pavement beside my son.

‘Oh, Zach!’ I put my arm round him. ‘What are you doing here, lovie?’

‘I want to talk to Ceci,’ he sobbed. ‘I want to know why she’s said these horrible things.’

‘And I told him she’s not here, hon,’ Melissa sighed. ‘Not right now anyway.’

A car screeched to a halt across the neighbour’s drive, the voice audible even before the door opened fully.