‘I’ve come to take you somewhere safe.’
‘Where?’
‘A friend is setting it up for us.’
‘What friend?’
‘My boyfriend.’ I felt my face burn but it was kind of true.
‘I don’t want to come out.’ Tears rolled down her cheeks.
‘I know, love. But you can’t live in here.’ I could see she was wearing my rabbit sweatshirt. If she’d been wearing it when she went to the house, it would give her away. ‘Have you got anything else to change into?’
‘No. I dropped my backpack when I ran away.’
‘OK.’ I doubted the work vest would be any good as a disguise. ‘Can you wait here for about five minutes?’
‘Why? Where are you going?’ Her voice rose into panic again.
‘Just to get you a hat and another top to wear. I’ll be really quick, I promise. It’ll be like a disguise, all right?’
She nodded.
‘Lock the
