She watched as Briggs slept beside her. His bedroom wasn’t as comfortable as hers and she still couldn’t believe she’d ended up staying. It didn’t feel right. There was a bed and furniture, but there were no pictures, no cushions and only one flat pillow each. After they’d caught up on the case, they’d enjoyed a takeaway in front of the television. When they’d made love, her mind had been elsewhere. She was sure he could tell.

Briggs wasn’t Terry, she had to keep reminding herself of that. She could leave his house at any time. She gasped and took a deep breath, trying to force her tears away. Deborah’s case was affecting every aspect of her life. She couldn’t get the images of baby Isobel out of her mind, and the scenarios that her mind constantly churned up weren’t pleasant.

She took the crime book Briggs had been reading from his chest and pulled the quilt over his arm. She removed his reading glasses, leaned over and placed them on his bedside table. He stirred and half opened an eye. ‘Are you sleeping over?’ he asked.

Gina hit the shutdown button on her laptop and closed the lid. ‘Do you mind? I’m too tired to drive home.’ He shook his head as he rolled over and nestled into his pillow. She turned off the light. The case would still be waiting for her when she awoke. With heavy eyes, and a heavier heart, she allowed sleep to take over.

---

As she sank into a deep sleep, she dreamed she was standing on the landing in her old house. She knew Terry was in the house, but where? Then he ran at her, approaching at high speed. His dilated pupils told her all she needed to know about his current state. There would be no reasoning with him.

Hannah screamed. She needed to get to Hannah’s cot before Terry did. She tried to duck under his arm but he grabbed her by the hair, yanking her back. She felt her head crash against the wall.

She smacked the side of Terry’s head, but he didn’t even flinch. A grin spread across his face as he pinned her against the wall and unbuckled his belt. ‘Please, Terry, no. Please,’ she said as she wriggled and twisted.

His zip became jammed. He let go of her for a second to tackle it. As he looked down, he stumbled at the top of the stairs. Then, with a gentle nudge, Gina shoved him over the edge. As he fell backwards, his eyes locked onto hers and his arms reached forward, as if he were pleading for her to grab him. But she didn’t move. She just remained still and watched as his skull cracked against the wall, then his leg scraped the bannister and he finally landed in a heap by the front door.

---

Gina jolted up and ran to the bathroom. Acid began to climb up her throat. She turned on the bathroom light and kneeled in front of the toilet. Her heart was whirring. Sweat dripped down her brow as she shivered. As she stared into the bowl, the feel of cold tiles on her legs grounded her and her heart rate began to slow. She grabbed the sink and dragged herself up. She ran the tap and splashed her face with icy water then stared at her reflection.

Her reddened skin was slowly returning to its normal colour. She shivered until her joints ached. As she leaned over the sink, she allowed herself to quietly sob. Had she shoved Terry down the stairs that night? Even if it was just a little shove, did that make her a murderer? She felt a yearning to hold Hannah as a baby in her arms and tell her everything was going to be alright.

‘Are you okay?’ Briggs asked, grabbing his robe from the back of the bathroom door and placing it around her shivering body. ‘Come back to bed. We need to warm you up.’ He led her back to the bedroom and helped her back into bed. ‘Are you ill?’

‘I had a bad dream, that’s all,’ she said as she wiped her face and turned away.

‘It’s not real. Come here.’ He placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

She reached over and grabbed her phone, hoping that Hannah had texted her, but again there was nothing.

‘Is there anything I can get you? Water?’ Briggs asked.

‘No. I’m fine.’ She pulled away from his embrace. ‘I’m going to head home. I shouldn’t be here, we both know that.’

‘It’s the middle of the night.’

He was right. There was no point in leaving. She turned away from him. He turned off the light and they both lay there in the dark. ‘I’m sorry. That was embarrassing.’

‘Don’t be daft.’ He snaked an arm around her waist. ‘Let’s try and get some sleep. It’s going to be a long day.’

As she closed her eyes, she thought of Hannah again. She owed it to her to be there on Saturday. She was going to attend the service. She’d do it for her daughter. She wiped her face on the sleeve of his robe and enjoyed his warmth as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.