It took a second for Melissa to register the voice behind her. When it did permeate the thick fog in her head, she wondered whether she was imagining it. She’d imagined she could hear Evie crying in here every time she lay back on her bed.

‘Mel? Are you okay?’

Jade? But hadn’t Mark said she’d left? Mel could only assume because her situation here had become intolerable.

‘I’m so sorry, Mel,’ Jade said, tears streaming down her face. ‘If I’d been here… If I hadn’t run off like that… Oh God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what else to do. I should have stayed. I—’

Jade gulped back a wretched sob, and despite her own pain, which if God was merciful would surely kill her, Mel felt for her. Jade wasn’t to blame. If anyone was, she was – though, in truth, she blamed Mark.

‘It’s not your fault, Jade. They’ll find her.’ Even as she said it, the hopelessness, the tidal wave of grief she’d felt since Evie had gone, washed through her afresh, leaving her weak and empty in its wake.

Her sobs stilling to a shudder, Jade nodded. ‘I had to come back. I have to tell you something, Mel,’ she said, her innocent blue eyes – child’s eyes, almost – clouded with confusion and worry. ‘I wasn’t sure whether to say, but I think you need to know.’

‘Know what?’ Noting the nervousness now in Jade’s eyes, Mel felt an immediate sense of uneasiness.

‘I… need to show you,’ Jade said hesitantly.

‘Show me?’

‘Mark’s laptop,’ Jade said uncomfortably. ‘I needed to do some online banking so I borrowed it and… I should have asked him, but…’

His laptop? Icy trepidation running the length of her spine, Mel was already halfway out of the door, heading for the hall, where she knew Mark always left it.

---

Staring in disbelief at the screen, Melissa felt repulsion flood every pore in her body. It couldn’t be true. It couldn’t! Yet it was there, right in front of her eyes: every sordid detail, every vile pornographic image.

Dear God, not children.

Nausea gripping her stomach, Melissa dragged her horrified gaze away from the graphic images, which would be forever imprinted on her mind, and ran to the downstairs toilet, where she retched the dry contents of her stomach until her insides were raw.

Poppy? Why was that photo on his desktop? Only that photo? He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t! Melissa snatched at the toilet roll, pressed a wad to her mouth, trying to stop the violent trembling that shook her entire body.

‘Melissa?’ Standing behind her, Jade barely whispered it. ‘Here,’ she said, two small pills in her outstretched hand. ‘Take these. Dr Meadows left them, remember? They’ll help with the anxiety.’

‘Anxiety?’ Melissa laughed – a laugh bordering on hysteria. It was going to take more than two pills, she thought, desperately trying to quell the nausea as she reached for them, swallowed them quickly down and headed back to the kitchen.

‘I’ve warmed you some milk,’ Jade said. ‘It’ll help line your stomach,’ she added, offering her the mug cautiously, as if Melissa might throw it at the nearest wall. She wanted to. She wanted to tear the whole house apart, brick by brick, and everything in it. Erase the nightmare. Dear God, she wished she could erase it.

Melissa took the mug, swilling the contents back for Jade’s sake as she sat down and braced herself to browse the rest of Mark’s internet history.

Flicking through his bookmarks, her stomach clenched as she realised there were many such sites. Then she turned her attention to his emails. It didn’t take long to find a folder marked ‘x-receipts’, making it the last folder listed in his favourites. Mel’s insides turned over afresh as she realised what kind of online purchases he’d made. He couldn’t have. Surely to God… She knew him. Or she thought she had.

‘There’s something else, Melissa,’ Jade said tentatively as, trying to still the palpitations in her chest, the dizziness in her head, Mel closed the laptop.

What? What else could there be? Melissa looked questioningly up to where Jade was standing opposite her, fiddling nervously with her hair.

‘The reason I left.’ Looking tearful again, Jade went reluctantly on.

She looked more than upset, Mel thought, studying her face. She looked fearful. Ashamed? ‘Jade?’ Her heart thudding painfully now, Melissa urged her on. ‘Tell me.’

‘He’d been drinking a lot,’ Jade said quickly. ‘Because of the problems between you, I think.’

Was she defending him? Against what? What had he done?

‘I didn’t know what to do.’ Jade looked beseechingly at her. ‘He came to my room. I wasn’t sure why. I thought it was to do with the children. I tried to get him to leave. I begged him to, but…’ Jade stopped, her face flushing as she glanced quickly down. ‘He’s much stronger than I am.’

‘No.’ Melissa reeled. She felt the room shift around her.

‘I tried to fight him off, I swear. I should have said something, I know I should, but you were going through so much. I thought it would be better if I just left. I wish I hadn’t. I wish…’ Swallowing, Jade dropped her gaze back to the floor. ‘Evie might still be here, if only I’d said something.’

Melissa stared at her, shocked to the core. She’d loved him. With her whole heart, she’d loved a man who was a complete monster.

‘You think he’s taken her, don’t you?’

‘I honestly don’t know,’ said Jade. ‘If he has, I’m sure he won’t hurt her, but…’

Pausing pointedly, she glanced at the laptop and then back to Mel. ‘Knowing what you know now about his… activities, I really think you should tell the police. For Evie’s sake.’