Elsa hugged Roz tightly before the two women turned to look at the warehouse as firemen desperately tried to tackle the blaze.

‘We’re all fine, which is more than I can say for the Haggartys,’ Elsa said darkly.

‘You don’t mean …’ Roz began, but sensing her question Elsa nodded.

‘Lilith. We don’t know about Callum yet, but Suzie’s alive.’

Just like Mrs Johnson with Suzie, Roz knew it was silly to ask the whys and wherefores when it came to the Haggartys, so she left the matter alone, asking only where Suzie was.

Elsa shrugged. ‘Last I seen she was down the shelter. As far as we know, Callum’s okay, so perhaps he came for her and they’ve gone to find somewhere else to live.’

Roz grimaced. She didn’t like the Haggartys one bit, but the thought of the old woman trapped alone inside the building sent a shiver down her spine.

Having seen his former home still up in flames, Callum had scrapped the idea of looking for his loot. He would have to wait until the fire had been put out before chancing that, so he had gone to the shelter where he’d left his daughter. The warden, his head heavily bandaged from the blast, looked up as Callum approached.

‘I’m looking for my daughter Suzie,’ Callum said. ‘I brought her here last night, she didn’t want to go in …’ he elaborated, for better identification.

The man lowered his gaze. ‘I tried me best …’

Callum gripped the other man by his collar and pulled him so that they were within inches of each other. His eyes flashed dangerously as he snarled the words. ‘You let her go?’

The man shook his head then winced as the pain seared through his skull. ‘Of course not! Only a ruddy bomb fell, knocked us both off us feet. I smacked me noggin on the pavement and your Suzie took off like a hare. She was gone before I had a chance to stop her …’

The man cried out in vain as Callum stormed away, but Callum had no intention of turning back. His daughter had perished in the fire along with his mother, and it was all his fault. He knew he had been wrong to leave his mother on her own, but he was too bloody-minded to listen to Suzie’s warnings, and as a result he’d lost his entire family. He was alone, and he had no one to blame but himself. First his wife, then his own flesh and blood. With these images clouding his thoughts, Callum headed for the Old Swan district, where nobody knew him.