She wrapped his hand. For the entire time that she did so, her ears pricked at creaks in the walls and unexpected car horns. And thuds continued to sound inside her head. Like the knocking on a dormitory door. Her heart raced. Every second or two she was convinced she had heard somebody on the stairs, and at one point she dropped the end of the dressing so that it unravelled into one of the sticky patches on the floor and she had to start again. But at last she finished. Dominic hadn’t moved his eyes from her since she’d begun, and part of the way through, Jasmine had reattached herself to her leg. With the job done, the three of them found themselves standing uncomfortably close, in uneasy, unoccupied silence.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Veronica needed to leave. She needed to get out of there. But the act of that suddenly felt like desertion. Casting her eyes around the room again, she noticed a sharp kitchen knife on the counter. On the wall there was a nunchuck, and a pair of boxing gloves. The girl was two. The boy a small eleven.

“What time will your mum be back?” she asked Dominic.

“Not sure. Later.”

The council meeting was later. Veronica stroked Jasmine gently on the head, then looked apologetically to the boy. “I’ve got to go.”

Dominic nodded without resistance, but he didn’t move. He looked up at her. And she hesitated.

“Could we try to contact your grandparents?”

Dominic shook his head. “I don’t know their number, and I can’t remember where they live. And anyway, Terry said he’d kill me if I tried.”

“He’d kill you?”

Veronica watched as Dominic’s eyes startled, as though aware too late that he’d let something slip. The boy forced a little laugh. “I mean, he’d be annoyed. And Mum would be. I’m not allowed to see them.”

“What about your dad’s parents? Your real dad’s, I mean?”

“Dad’s dad’s dead. And his mum didn’t want a bar of us after Dad died. I don’t remember her anyway. Only her voice, I think. She sung gospel or something. And she smelled of something sweet.”

There was a creak and immediately Dominic went silent. Veronica had never heard him say so much at once, nor tell her anything so personal. She didn’t want to leave him now, but the minutes were ticking by, increasing the likelihood of Terry’s return. Besides, she wasn’t supposed to be fixing others.

“I’m so sorry, but I have an appointment,” said Veronica.

Dominic nodded, as he had before.

A car door slammed on the street and instinctually both of them listened.

“I’m right next door,” said Veronica. “If you need anything.”

Again the boy nodded, his beady eyes never leaving her face – unmoving, unreadable. Veronica looked away from him towards the door. Thud, thud. She was unsure if the noise was in her head, or outside that piece of wood. But she was unable to move. While he stared at her like this, she was unable to do anything, as though caught in a spell, or a web of dark, unknowable things.