Angela walked slowly over to Reece Corrigan’s unconscious body and stood over him, a look of disgust on her face. No longer afraid. He was unconscious and blood trailed from swollen eye to the dusty floor.

‘You don’t know what he’s like,’ she said.

Adrian placed his hand on Imogen’s shoulder to steady her. She looked shaken and confused by what they had just witnessed.

Before either of them had a chance to react, Angela picked up her foot and drove the heel of her shoe into Reece’s eye. She was making sure he didn’t get out of here alive. His body twitched as she pulled her foot up again before slamming it down one more time, this time in the other socket. There was no movement this time – he was already dead.

‘Angela, stop!’ Imogen screamed.

‘I’ve got no one left. No one.’

Angela removed her foot again. This time the shoe stayed in place. She stumbled backwards until she was by the edge of the room, the full-length window that hadn’t yet been installed.

‘This is your chance to start a new life,’ Imogen said.

‘In prison?’ Angela said, glancing behind her and appraising the fall.

‘Given the circumstances and what you’ve been through, I don’t expect you would serve a long sentence, Angela. Just step away from the window.’ Adrian edged forwards with his hands held out. ‘Come to me.’

‘I can’t,’ Angela said, stepping backwards, a bloody imprint left where she had been standing.

Tears streamed down her face. She teetered at the edge.

Adrian was close enough to touch her now – he could grab her and pull her inside – but she could just as easily pull him out with her. He needed to talk her down. He spoke quietly to her.

‘He’s gone now. He can’t hurt you or anyone else anymore. Just step forwards and grab my hand. Once the judge knows what he did, he will be lenient. I know it.’

‘You can’t know that.’

‘Now that he is gone, I think a lot of people will come forward and testify as to what kind of man he really was. No one is going to blame you for what happened.’

Adrian moved forwards a little more and reached for Angela’s cheek with his thumb, wiping her tears away, trying to ignore the sheer drop just inches away from him. He felt himself sway a little, his fear of heights getting the better of him. He still had his hand held out to the side in case he needed to grab the window frame to stop himself from falling.

‘Come inside, Angela. You can trust me. I promise he can’t get to you. He’s dead. He can’t get to anyone,’ Adrian implored Angela with his eyes.