‘I did a first aid course after we lost your dad. I never wanted to feel that helpless again. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.’

Darren felt a rush of relief; following someone else’s instructions was much easier than trying to figure out what he was meant to do alone. He yanked open the car door and reached down to the lever on the side of the seat so they could tip it back a bit.

Jill gently adjusted Andrea’s head. ‘Okay, Darren,’ she said, ‘you need to be the one to do it.’

‘But I don’t —’

Jill cut him off. ‘My face is covered in blood. I can’t do it. I’ll talk you through every step. You can do this.’

Darren nodded.

*

Mimi

Once more Mimi bent over to look down at Tony. He reached an arm up to her.

‘Help me,’ he said, his voice coming out strange and wheezy.

Mimi caught his arm and pushed it back. ‘First tell me the truth,’ she said, her voice low, the rage burning inside as she looked him in the eye.

He looked confused. ‘The truth?’ he wheezed. ‘The truth . . . about what?’

‘About what you did to Callie.’

The look in his eyes told her the answer. He knew exactly what she was talking about, and before she could stop herself she started hitting him. Slapping and scratching and pummelling his face and his body. ‘What did you do to my daughter?’ she screamed at him.

He caught hold of her wrists to stop her but his grip was weak and she was able to wrench her hands free. She started crying. ‘How could you? Your own niece, how could you?’

He shook his head. ‘I never meant to . . . I couldn’t help . . . I . . . I . . .’ But there was nothing he could say to justify what he’d done and he knew it.

‘I’m sick,’ he said finally. ‘I need help.’

‘You don’t need help,’ Mimi said. ‘You need to be in jail.’

‘But don’t you get it?’ he said. ‘Day after day after day, I stopped myself. I fought against these feelings. You think I don’t know they’re wrong? I know! I didn’t want to do it. But it’s not my fault, it’s a compulsion. That’s why I tried to get Andrea to stay away from the kid next door. I didn’t want the temptation.’

‘The temptation? A little girl? That’s revolting.’ Mimi wanted to throw up.

‘Mimi, please. That’s why I waited, don’t you see? I waited.’

Mimi couldn’t help herself. ‘What are you talking about? What do you mean you waited?’

‘Until Callie was older. Right? I never touched her before this year, I swear.’