‘But you can be sure you’ll never see her again,’ added the woman, who had taken a step closer. Birthmarks freckled her face and she had a sharply defined Cupid’s bow. ‘And if you do see her again, it will be on a stainless steel table after her body’s found in a public bathroom someplace, made up like a junkie whore and with her adorable little panties stuffed so far down her throat they have to pull them out with forceps.’

Diana put a hand on her stomach. The squirrel was nothing but a hard, lifeless lump in her pocket. The old man brought his hands together in front of his chest and lowered his lips to his slender fingertips in a thoughtful gesture.

‘Forget your friend,’ he said.

He stroked her breasts.

‘She’s fine here. In fact, I’d go so far as to say she’s happy.’ He turned to the woman for agreement and she nodded.

‘In all events, she certainly will be,’ she said. ‘In time. She fits in here. But you don’t.’

The old man shook his head.

‘Leave now, and never come back.’

Diana nodded and then she walked out unsteadily through the opening between the tarpaulins. She was breathing through her mouth, looking down at the grass and her shoes.

*

She walked and ran by turns until she reached the boom barrier, where she fell to the ground, panting heavily. Then she jumped back up. The squirrel had rolled into a ball in her pocket and when she slapped it, it curled up tighter. She put her hand in to try to grab it, but it squirmed and clawed at her. That made her rip off her sweater and hurl it away. It lay by the side of the road, like any old discarded sweater. Until it came alive. The animal moved weirdly slowly. Its nose poked out, then its head. The tufted ears. It stayed like that for a while, scanning the surroundings. Then it took two long leaps and ran up a pine tree and out onto a branch, setting it swaying.

Diana dug out her phone. It suddenly occurred to her she should warn her parents. Ask them to hide Kiruna somewhere. Her fingers were shaking. Kiruna’s face behind the large digits of the clock. A row of pearl sugar for teeth. Her funny protruding ears.

At that point, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and peered into the forest. Was she imagining it? Moments later, she saw someone approaching through the trees. A strange woman with black hair down to her waist. She wore nothing but a knit jumper and knickers and was very thin, her legs skinny and muscular like an African long-distance runner.

‘I’m leaving. I just needed a minute.’

‘It’s your sister, isn’t it?’

Diana said nothing.

‘You’ve come for your sister.’

‘No,’ she said and shook her head.