When they got back to the farmhouse, Shona was about to leave with two police officers. ‘Darling, they’ve said she’s allowed one visitor at the hospital, so I must go, but I’m desperately worried about Dad. He’s still not back.’ She looked broken and was on the brink of tears. ‘The police are going to look for him now. He needs to be told about Lenni.’

Claire placed a hand on her mother’s arm. ‘Yes, you go, Mum. I’ll help find him. Try not to worry.’ She paused, hardly able to believe what she was about to say. ‘And tell Lenni I love her. Tell her I’m waiting for her. That I always have done.’ She was fighting back the tears too, willing herself to stay strong. On the way back from the beach she’d spotted Callum’s car at the Old Stables. Before she looked for her father, there was something else she needed to do.

---

The house was unusually dark and cool inside, as if it what had happened in it had somehow drained it of warmth and love. She didn’t bother calling out his name; she knew the sick bastard was in there somewhere. Feeling oddly calm, her anger having transformed into a strange sense of power, Claire walked slowly through the hallway and into the kitchen. His keys were lying on the counter, as if he’d just come home from work, expecting his evening meal to be ready, plus all the other things he’d taken for granted over the years. None of it had ever bothered her before – she’d always enjoyed being a wife, a mother, his best friend. So she’d believed. She ran a glass of water, drinking it in a few swift gulps, wiping her mouth before going to the living room doorway.

Callum was sitting on the sofa, his head bent forward in his hands, staring at the floor.

Claire thumped her fist on the door, slamming it back against the wall. He didn’t look up immediately, but when he did, he couldn’t meet her eyes.

‘You fucking disgusting piece of shit,’ she spat out, her hand smarting. She didn’t care. She thumped the door again, almost enjoying the feeling. ‘How fucking dare you even set foot in this house after what you did. You shouldn’t be near any of us.’

‘Claire—’

‘Don’t give me your bullshit. I don’t want to hear it.’ She marched up close to him, shoving him on the shoulder. He flinched. ‘What were you thinking?’ She kicked his foot, but he just sat there. ‘I’ve already told the police you made me lie to cover your slimy arse. You make me sick!’

‘None of this is what you think,’ he said, making to stand up. Claire shoved him again, catching him off balance so he fell back into the chair again.

‘What, raping a fifteen-year-old isn’t what it sounds like?’ She let out a disgusted noise. ‘I can’t even listen to your pathetic excuses.’ Claire spat at him, kicking his leg hard. He stood up, looming over her.

‘You don’t know what you’re talking about, Claire. You’re stressed and not thinking straight. We’ll sort this out and everything will be normal again. Me, you, the kids – a fresh start.’ He went to take her by the shoulders, perhaps even bring her in for a hug, but she shoved him again, her palms thumping flat against his chest.

‘Don’t fucking touch me, you pervert! I want you out of my life. And don’t even think of going near our children ever again, you sick, sick monster.’ Claire swung round, shaking, firing on pure adrenalin, and ran upstairs to their bedroom. She yanked open the wardrobe doors, grabbing armfuls of Callum’s clothes – clothes she had once pressed and neatly put away. She opened the window and flung them out, hurling bundles of underwear, suits, sweaters, shoes – everything he owned – onto the front lawn.

‘Claire, stop. You’re not seeing sense right now. We need to pull together as a team—’

‘Get out! Now!’ she screamed. He was in the doorway – his face pale, his shoulders hunched.

‘Claire…’ he said, holding out his hands.

‘Don’t Claire me,’ she replied, returning from the bathroom with an armful of his toiletries. They all went out of the window too. ‘Rain is a child. What else have you done over the years that I don’t know about?’ She shook her head, blowing out a sigh through clenched teeth. Then she pulled two suitcases from the top of the wardrobe and shoved them at Callum. ‘Get the fuck out of this house and don’t come back. Ever!’ The tears were flowing hot and fast now. ‘I’ll have the rest of your stuff sent on. To hell!’ she screamed, lashing out at him again.

Fending off her blows, Callum finally retreated, taking the suitcases with him. When she heard the front door bang shut, the Range Rover roar off, Claire hurled herself onto the bed and sobbed like she’d never done before. Her life had been destroyed in the worst way imaginable, yet a part of it was also about to be rebuilt. She didn’t know what to think or do, so she pressed her face into the pillow instead, letting the tears flow.

---

‘Should I phone Mum now?’ Claire said to Nick for about the tenth time. She’d tried to freshen up before coming back to the farmhouse, but even an hour later, her eyes were still red and sore. ‘And should I call the police again about Dad?’

‘Drink?’ he said, pouring two glasses of wine. ‘And no. You shouldn’t call anyone. It’s too soon.’ It was good to see a flicker of hope in Claire’s eyes, he thought, even though he could see she’d been sobbing. ‘Just take a moment to relax, Claire. You’re in a mess.’

They’d not long had a call from a detective about Lenni, but hadn’t learnt much more. ‘Your sister has been taken to a place of safety,’ he’d told her. ‘A secure medical facility. She’ll be able to have more visitors tomorrow, but for now it’s important we collect evidence before it becomes degraded.’

Claire had understood, though she wanted nothing more than to bundle Lenni up, bring her home and never let her out of her sight again. But she was grateful that Shona had at least been allowed to see her. ‘Thank you,’ she’d said flatly before hanging up. One more day without her. But it would be the longest of them all.

She took the wine gratefully. ‘Why, Nick, why, after all these years, did she turn up out of the blue? Did someone release her, did she escape?’ Her mind was leaping ahead, filling up with questions that didn’t yet have answers. ‘She was virtually mute when she was here and seemed terrified, so we didn’t press her.’ She took a mouthful of wine. ‘What if she’d wanted to disappear?’ She covered her face at the possibility, that life here at the farm had become too intolerable.

She stared at the chair where Lenni had sat. It had swallowed her up.

‘If someone took her, I swear I’ll kill the fucker who did it.’ Her voice was wavering. ‘I’m so angry. Angrier than I’ve ever been… about everything that’s happened.’ Shaking, she put down her wine and tugged hard at her wedding ring, pulling it off and tossing it across the table so it skidded onto the floor.

‘I’m here for you, Claire. We’ll get through this,’ Nick said, taking her hand.

She looked at him, about to say something, but she heard a noise outside. She stood, glancing out of the window. ‘Oh, thank God. Jason’s back,’ she said, watching as the taxi pulled away. She’d phoned him a hundred times, but his battery must have run out. ‘And Maggie and Rain are with him too.’ She ran to the back door, grabbing onto her brother as he came inside, pulling Maggie and Rain close too. She tried to tell them everything coherently, but it all blurted out in garbled sobs.

For a while, Jason didn’t speak. He dropped into his father’s chair and sat, stunned, unable to comprehend the end of what had already been the most momentous day of his life. He’d left Greta in hospital sleeping with their babies – each was adorable and healthy, and Greta was glowing, ready to take on motherhood. But this… this was not what he’d expected. It was joy enough to be a father, to have Rain found safe and well, but to learn that Lenni – were they sure it was her, he’d asked a thousand times – had somehow come home, alive, was more than he could take in.

‘Oh, Claire, that’s unbelievable, incredible,’ Maggie said, as they hugged. ‘I don’t know what to say… about anything any more, frankly.’ She went over to be with Rain who was sitting in the corner, watching and listening to the goings-on, though quietly indifferent with a fearful look in her eye. Her legs were curled up on the chair and her arms clutched an oversized cardigan around her body – so unlike the Rain any of them knew. She needed her mother more than ever now.

By the time Marcus came back, plans were being made amid a cacophony of speculation and unanswerable questions. Claire had arranged for Amy to stay on and sleep over at her friend’s house. Explaining everything to her daughter was not something she could deal with tonight. Besides, Amy had witnessed enough upheaval and drama these last few days, and time with her best friend would do her good. She knew she’d be perfectly safe.

‘Mum, that’s totally incredible,’ Marcus said, wide-eyed. ‘It’s just, like, amazing.’ He didn’t know what else to say so he pulled his phone from his pocket and began thumbing the keys.

‘I’d keep quiet about it if I were you, mate,’ Nick said. ‘Don’t put anything on Facebook, and I wouldn’t text your friends either. Once the story gets out, there’ll be no peace.’

Marcus sheepishly stuffed his phone back into his pocket. ‘Anyway, where’s Dad? I’ve been trying to call him all afternoon, ’cos he was going to give me a lift later.’

Claire looked away for a moment, breathing in deeply. ‘He has some things to take care of, love.’ It was a placeholder lie that she hated telling, but it would have to do for now. She had no idea where Callum had gone or what she would tell her children. They had a right to know everything, but how would she explain that their father had been charged with a sexual offence against a child? The police had put Marcus through the mill, grilling and almost accusing him while Callum had looked on, knowing what he’d done.

But any further thoughts were interrupted by the telephone. ‘Yes,’ Claire said several times after answering. She gripped the worktop, drawing in breath – a breath that was deep enough to signal either a scream or a long sigh of relief. In the end, it escaped as a small gasp. A gasp that said Nothing more can shock me today. She hung up and stood perfectly still. ‘That was the police,’ she said. ‘They’ve found Dad.’