For a summary of what's happened in previous chapters, please see author notes.

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There’s a stabbing pain in my neck, I clamp my hand to it and open my eyes, wincing. Where am I? I sit up, glancing frantically around for any kind of clue as to where I am.

I’m in someone’s living room. There are toys scattered across the cream carpet in front of me, bits of Lego, and dolls; a death trap for anyone not steady on their feet. My eyes flick to the corner of the room to the massive television; it must be one of those new Sky ones I keep hearing about, it’s far too big for me. On the corner of the television there’s a photograph of a man and a woman. I squint, the woman’s wearing a white dress and, ah, it would’ve been taken at their wedding. She’s looking towards the sky showing off her brilliant white teeth while her beaming husband nestles into her.

‘Ah, you’re awake.’

A woman’s voice makes me jump, then I see her, and everything comes flooding back. Georgia’s standing in the doorway of the living room. She’s playing with a gold ring on her finger.

‘I . . . I.’ Tears fill my eyes.

‘It’s okay, I’ve called you an ambulance; you haven’t been passed out long.’

‘I don’t need an ambulance,’ I snap, trying to sit up straighter, but dizziness overtakes me. I shake myself. ‘Sorry, that was rude of me.’

‘Don’t worry. You gave me a right fright,’ Georgia says. ‘I had no idea who you were, well, at first, I didn’t and then you just collapsed in a heap at my feet. I thought you were having a heart attack.’

She knows who I am. Did she manage to move me onto her sofa? Someone must’ve helped her, surely. It might’ve been a neighbour. I glance at the sleeve on my right arm and spot specks of dirt. I rub it off with my right hand, oh God, now it’s on her sofa.

‘I  . . . I’m sorry about this,’ I say. My head is still banging, please don’t say I have concussion.

‘It’s okay, really it is. I’m Lucie. Can I get you a drink, or anything?’

Lucie. Okay, yes, that name's better than Georgia. I never would’ve thought of calling her that.

‘No, I’m fine, thank you. I’m Stacey,’ I reply. ‘So . . . so, you know I’m Joshua’s mother?’

I can’t quite look her in the eye. Is she going to report me to the police for following her? She has every right to. I would if I was in her position. I’ve broken the law. The sudden realisation hits me hard in the chest. 

Lucie shifts on her feet. ‘Yes, I saw you in the court room on the first day. Do you know, I thought someone was following me from the station, it was just a sixth sense I had.’

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. It was by pure chance I spotted you on the tube, and I . . . look, my son, he . . . he didn’t do this . . . he didn’t kill that poor girl.’

Tears well in my eyes.

She pads over to me, bends down and takes hold of my hands. ‘I know he didn’t,’ she says, looking at me in the eye.

‘You . . . you do.’

I haven’t felt such a surge of relief in a long time. I was right.

She stands up. ‘I . . . I tried to persuade the others that the evidence wasn’t strong enough, but, they were all convinced, I was overruled. I had no choice but to go along with them in the end.’

‘But . . . but why do you think Joshua’s innocent?’ I ask.

I have to understand her reasoning.

‘I’m not sure if I should be discussing this with you, I could get into trouble.’

‘Please,’ I say to her, clasping my hands together. ‘You have to.’

There’s a knock on the door and flashing blue lights alert my attention, I spot an ambulance crew outside. Shoot.

‘They’ll need to check you over,’ Lucie says, darting towards the door. Perhaps she’s glad of the interruption. ‘I’ll let them in.’

I clamp my hand to my forehead. There are voices in the hallway and then a young man and woman in green uniforms bustle in.

‘Hi Stacey.’ The man says bending down so that he’s level with my eye. He makes me feel like I’m a hundred. ‘Can you tell me what happened?’

‘I . . .’ I feel dizzy all of a sudden, God, please don’t let me pass out again. I can’t bear the embarrassment. ‘I think I had a bit of a funny turn, but I’m okay, really I don’t want to waste your time, you have far more important patients to be dealing with.’

A searing hot pain pierces my head. I close my eyes.

‘Okay, Stacey, I think we’re going to have to take you with us to run some tests, just to be on the safe side, are you okay to stand?’

Holding onto the armrest, I pull myself up from the sofa.

‘I’ll come with you,’ Lucie says, grabbing a coat off a chair.

‘No please, I shouldn’t have bothered you and now . . . ’

‘It’s fine, you need someone to be with you,’ she insists, pulling her coat on. ‘Do you want me to call anyone?’

‘Um.’ I run my tongue over my teeth. I don’t want them to call my daughter; I don’t want her to worry. ‘Can you call my partner; I’ll give you his number.’ He’s actually my ex, but I know, in the circumstances he’ll want to make sure I’m alright.

I reel off his number, and Stacey inputs it into her phone.

‘Okay, are you okay to come out to the ambulance with us?’ the woman speaks now.

‘Yes, yes, I’m fine.’

She lends me her arm and I grip hold of it.