He squinted at her and at the phone, his head wobbling on his shoulders like one of those dashboard nodding dogs. What he couldn’t understand was why she wasn’t making any attempt to give it to him.

‘I never noticed before,’ Abs told her. ‘It’s the middle of the night and you’re fully dressed.’

‘I’m glad you didn’t notice.’ Her smile revealed badly stained teeth. ‘I don’t like to be noticed.’

Abs felt the world shift on its axis. He sat up sharply, but the action made him dizzy, and the room tipped queasily. ‘I don’t feel too good.’

She pointed to the smashed china. ‘That’s because I’ve drugged you.’

‘I’ve got to go.’ Abs’s legs trembled with the effort of standing – it was the shock, he supposed – and when the old woman stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, he fell back helplessly into the chair.

‘Make yourself at home.’ When he tried to climb to his feet again, she pushed him down harder. ‘I said sit.’

Then there was a banging on the front door and Abs heard a familiar voice shout, ‘It’s me, let me in.’

The old woman put down her cloth and put a finger to her lips, said, ‘You stay there, like a good boy.’

She left the room, the kitchen door spinning in his vision as she shut it, and then the room began to move, too.

Abs heard voices in the hallway, and then the old woman came in, followed by Jez.

‘We’ve no choice now, my darling,’ said Rachel Weston. ‘He’s going to have to die.’

48

‘We’re going to keep her in for a bit longer, just for observation.’ Maybe it was Sasha’s paranoia, but she thought she detected mild reproach on the face of the doctor. ‘When she goes home, the important thing is to get her to drink plenty of fluids.’

‘You mean water, not vodka,’ said Sasha, instantly regretting the weak joke.

The man looked down at his notes. ‘And, of course, we’ll have to refer the incident to social services.’

She knew the child safeguarding procedure. A social worker would visit their home to see if there was an underlying reason for Angel’s hospital visit – neglect or abuse – and the prospect made her feel sick. Questions would be asked about why a fifteen-year-old was left alone overnight by her parents.

‘Yes, of course.’

‘You can probably take her home in an hour or two. Make sure she gets plenty of rest and, as I say, plenty of fluids.’

‘Thank you, doctor,’ Sasha said.

‘She’s had a lucky escape,’ he told her. ‘I’ve seen young people have a lot worse reaction to alcohol poisoning.’