I slipped my phone back in my pocket and turned to the girl, who had filled the bowl up again from the tap and was washing her face.

"I'm going to get you out of here. I know you probably have mixed feelings about that, but it's time to get you somewhere you can be safe and looked after. "

She wiped her mouth and looked up at me. "With your mother? I'm going to move in with the two of you?" She was smiling slightly.

"Well, that's one of the possibilities." I was uncertain but thought my voice remained relaxed.

She sighed, then stood up and pulled at the door of the shed, which opened awkwardly on a last unbroken hinge. It was dark inside, and a powerful animal smell rolled out of the darkness. "There's something in there,"she said. "Rats, or a civet." She stood as though trying to decide whether to shut the door again. "John's been bugging me to get in there with the gun. I didn't want to, so he made me stand."

I reached over her and pushed the door to. "We don't have to deal with that now. We should get out onto the road. The cops are coming. They will deal with John, and make sure that everything is okay. There's some paperwork, then we can go. How are your hands?"

She held them up.