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Hello.’

      ‘I hope I haven’t interrupted anything, but I need to speak to you urgently.’

      ‘Yes, go ahead.’

      ‘Derek phoned me a little while ago and he’s very distraught. He says he’s been stopped from seeing Beth and speaking to her on the phone. He didn’t seem to understand why. He said something about a meeting. I’ve tried to telephone the social worker, but she’s not available. I wondered if you knew what had happened?’ Marianne spoke quickly and I could hear the anxiety in her voice.

      ‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘Jessie has just telephoned me, but all she said was that Beth wouldn’t be seeing her father this evening and she wasn’t to telephone him until further notice. She didn’t say why.’ I wondered if I should tell her about the questions Jessie had asked me about Beth and her father, or that Jessie had been into Beth’s school, but decided it was confidential and if Jessie wanted her to know she’d tell her.

      ‘Jessie didn’t give you a reason?’ Marianne asked.

      ‘No. She just asked me to tell Beth. She’s going to be so upset.’

      Marianne gave a heartfelt sigh. ‘I don’t know what’s going on. I’ve told Derek I’ll go to the hospital as soon as I finish work. I can’t do anything now, I’m at work. He said something about a meeting he’d had to attend yesterday with Jessie and the psychologist, but I couldn’t understand what that had to do with anything. He was too upset to explain. Do you know anything about the meeting?’

      ‘No. Jessie didn’t mention it,’ I replied honestly.

      Marianne sighed again. ‘OK. Thank you. Sorry to have troubled you, but I didn’t know who else to call. I’ll try to get hold of Jessie again later.’

      ‘Marianne, I’m very worried too,’ I said. ‘If you find out anything from Jessie could you tell me, please? It’s going to be difficult enough anyway telling Beth she’s not seeing her father, and without a good reason I really don’t know what to tell her.’

      ‘Yes, of course I will.’

      She said a quick goodbye and I replaced the handset. So not even Derek understood the reason why contact had been stopped.

      Paula looked up at me. ‘Was that about Beth too?’ she asked quietly.

      ‘Yes, love. It was.’

      ‘Oh dear, poor Beth.’ Paula sympathized, appreciating something was badly wrong but not knowing what.

      Marianne didn’t telephone back that day so I assumed that she hadn’t learned any more from Jessie. As the afternoon drew on and the end of school approached, my anxiety grew at the prospect of having to tell Beth she wouldn’t be seeing or phoning her father. I took the car to school, hoping that Beth wouldn’t mention her father until we were at least in the car or – better still – home, where I could talk to her in private. Paula and I waited in the playground and, as usual for a Friday afternoon, as soon as the klaxon sounded the children bounded out, excited by the start of the weekend. Beth was out before Adrian and ran to my side, beaming. The first thing she said was, ‘I’m seeing my daddy tonight!’

      Paula looked at me, aware I had something important to say to Beth.

      ‘Beth, love,’ I said gently, bending towards her. ‘I’m afraid there’s been a change of plan.’

      Beth’s face immediately lost its happy, carefree expression and she scowled at me. ‘I’m not seeing my daddy, am I?’

      ‘No, not tonight, love. I’m sorry. I’ll explain when we get home.’

      She glared at me, a mixture of disappointment and anger. Then she stamped her foot hard in rage. ‘I want to see my daddy!’ she shouted.

      Paula jumped in fright and some of the other children and mothers standing nearby looked over.

      I placed my hand reassuringly on Beth’s shoulder. ‘I’m sorry, love,’ I said again. ‘Jessie phoned. I’ll tell you what she said when we get home.’

      ‘Tell me now!’ Beth demanded, stamping her foot again.

      ‘No, love, when we get home,’ I said evenly.

      ‘You can’t stop me seeing my daddy!’ she shouted. ‘No one can!’ Even I was starting to feel embarrassed, and Paula was looking scared.

      ‘Losing your temper won’t help,’ I said, keeping my voice calm. ‘I’ll tell you what I know when we get home, not here.’

      ‘Hate you!’ Beth hissed. ‘Hate you all.’ She folded her arms across her chest, her face set in anger and she turned her back on us.

      I hadn’t seen Beth this angry. Paula was obviously frightened by her outburst and slipped her hand into mine. Adrian came out of school and, seeing Beth’s expression, asked her lightly, ‘What’s up with you?’

      ‘Shut up!’ she shouted.

      He frowned.

      ‘That’s enough, Beth,’ I said. ‘I know you’re upset, but being rude won’t help.’

      ‘Can we go now, Mum?’ Adrian asked, clearly embarrassed and wanting to be away from the playground.

      ‘Yes. Come on,’ I said.

      Paula kept her hand firmly in mine as we began across the playground. Adrian went a little in front and Beth lagged behind. I could see she was putting distance between us and a couple of times I glanced over my shoulder to make sure she wasn’t getting too far behind. She still had her arms crossed and was staring down as she walked, a fierce expression marring her usually pretty features. We went out of the school gates and along the pavement towards the car, with Beth walking some distance behind us. Even when we arrived at the car she stood a little away and glared at me when I looked at her.

      ‘Come on. In you get,’ I said to all three children as I opened the rear door.

      Adrian slid in first, then Paula and finally Beth. I checked their seatbelts as I usually did, but as I checked Beth’s she roughly pushed my hand away. I thought it best to ignore her small act of aggression and closed the rear door, which automatically child-locked. No one spoke in the car during the ten-minute drive home, but I could see their faces in the rear-view mirror. Adrian and Paula were looking ahead with very worried expressions, while Beth was staring out of her side window, still very angry.

      I parked on our driveway, got out and opened the rear door for the children. Adrian clambered out first, followed by Paula and then Beth, who stomped past me and up to the front door.

      ‘Don’t worry,’ I said quietly to Adrian and Paula. ‘She’ll be all right soon.’ I could see how much Beth’s anger was upsetting them.

      I unlocked the front door and Beth shot in first. Kicking off her shoes, she threw her coat on the floor and then stamped upstairs to her bedroom where she slammed the door.

      ‘What was all that about?’ Adrian now asked, relieved we were home.

      ‘Beth can’t see her father tonight,’ I said. ‘Understandably she’s upset. Can you look after Paula for a moment, please, while I go up and talk to her?’

      ‘Can we have the television on?’ Adrian asked.

      ‘Yes, of course. Until dinner time.’

      I helped Paula out of her coat and shoes, took off my own, and then Adrian took Paula through to the living room. I went upstairs to Beth’s room, where I gave a perfunctory knock on her door before going in. She was lying on her side on the bed clutching the framed photograph of her father to her chest.

      ‘Get out!’ she cried as I entered. ‘I hate you all. I want my daddy!’

      ‘I know you do, love,’ I said gently. I went over and perched tentatively on the edge of the bed. I didn’t want to be within striking distance if Beth lashed

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