‘Paul again?’ Jessica asked, obviously noting Alicia’s wary expression as she checked her incoming call.

Alicia nodded, her heart, already heavy with guilt and confusion, plummeting like a lead weight in her chest.

‘Persistent, isn’t he?’ Jessica gave her an unimpressed look. ‘Are you going to answer it?’ she asked, turning to fill up the kettle.

She had no choice but to, Alicia realised. However much she told him she didn’t want to speak to him, have anything to do with him unless through legal channels, he just wouldn’t stop. Why? What could he possibly hope to gain? He didn’t want to suddenly take an interest in Sophie. He hadn’t even enquired after her, for God’s sake. And if, by the remotest, most unbelievable chance, he did want to figure things out with Sophie, then surely he must realise that this way wasn’t going to achieve anything.

Hesitating for a second, Alicia steeled herself and took the call.

‘Why are you doing this, Paul? Why are you harassing me?’ she said, before he could speak.

‘Harassing?’ Paul laughed, incredulous. ‘I’m not harassing you, Alicia. I’m simply trying to have a civil conversation with you about my daughter. Surely you have to concede you owe me that much?’

His daughter? Hearing him speak the words, laying claim to her as if she was his, not even caring enough to ask how Sophie might feel, how she might be, where she might be, Alicia swallowed back her contempt. She’s not here! She wanted to scream at it him. She’s not here – because of you! She would never let him near her. Never.

‘Look, Alicia, I just want to see you.’ He sighed heavily. ‘I don’t want to cause you more heartache. That’s the last thing I would ever want to do. I just want to talk, that’s all, one-to-one, not over the phone. We can sort this out, surely? I’m not an unreasonable man.’

Didn’t want to cause her more heartache? Alicia could hardly breathe.

‘You said your husband knows about us,’ Paul went on.

Alicia didn’t answer. How could she, without playing into his hands?

‘Does he know there’s a possibility Sophie might not be his?’

Alicia gripped her phone hard, praying this conversation wasn’t heading where she thought it might be.

‘Look, all I want to do is to see you and to talk, Alicia. That’s not too much to ask, is it? We had something good once. We shouldn’t be pulling each other apart. We can work together on this, can’t we?’

‘I don’t want to see you, Paul,’ Alicia repeated forcefully. ‘There are no circumstances under which I want to meet you, don’t you see? I love my husband.’

Paul went quiet.

Alicia waited. He was still there. She could hear him breathing.

‘I think you might want to see me, Alicia,’ he said, eventually, ‘given the results of the paternity test.’

Oh God, no. Alicia closed her eyes, feeling sick and claustrophobic, the noise of the kettle boiling and the clink of the cups behind her grating on her nerves, as the room closed in on her.

‘I don’t want to cause any upset, Alicia, I promise you. I just want to do what’s best,’ Paul continued, sounding quite calm. Kind, almost. Reasonable.

Feeling as if she might be going slowly insane, Alicia scrambled feverishly through her muddled recollections. He couldn’t have. How could he have, unless… Had he been in touch with Sophie?

‘How?’ she asked him, her mouth dry, her throat parched. ‘How did you get a test done? You’d need to have something of hers.’ A toothbrush? A strand of her hair? She tried to think, hoping that he was lying. Yet, there was a part of her that was desperately hopeful that he might have seen her in the past week.

‘Her hairbrush,’ Paul supplied, killing all hope Alicia might have had dead. ‘When I was at the house.’

After they’d been burgled? When they’d just laid Lucas to rest?

‘You left me no choice, Alicia. I have a right to know. I think your husband has a right to know, too, don’t you?’ Paul said, as if anything could excuse the vileness of his actions. ‘I’ll leave it with you. I really do think we need to meet though, don’t you? For Sophie’s sake.’

Realising he’d ended the call, Alicia felt her blood run cold. What did he mean? A hard kernel of apprehension knotted inside her.

‘Not a good outcome then?’ Jessica enquired, glancing at her worriedly as she carried the tea to the table.

‘No. Struggling to draw air past the lump in her throat, Alicia shook her head wretchedly. ‘He claims to have had a paternity test,’ she murmured, her mind still reeling, her heart plummeting to the depths of her soul. ‘He’s calling her his daughter,’

‘Oh my God!’ Jessica stared at her, aghast. ‘You have to tell Justin, Alicia. He needs to know.’