He filled his bowl with porridge and went through to the wash-house where at least he was rid of the Pearsons for a few minutes. Regardless of the sick feeling that would not leave his gut, he ate every last scrap.

He saw the tiny black shadow scurry along the wall of his room and under his bed. At first he thought it was a mouse or a rat, neither of which now worried him. Then he saw the small black shadow again. It was neither rat nor mouse. It was a kitten.

‘Come on. Here, kitty.’ He knelt down and peered under his bed. A tiny hiss came from a corner. ‘Here, kitty, kitty.’ It came to him. ‘Where did you come from? Did he put you in here?’ Jake shivered, stood, went to the door, checked. No one there. ‘I think you could be…I guess you are…one that got away from him. Come on, I won’t hurt you.’ Then the sick feeling thudded back into his gut. ‘Well, I don’t want to hurt you…’ He picked it up in gentle hands. So gentle. ‘Oh, you funny little thing,’ he said, as the kitten started to suck one of his fingers. ‘That’s not a tit, dummy. Won’t get anything from that.’ It went on sucking. ‘You stupid little kitty. You’re sucking at the hand that murdered your poor brothers and sisters…

‘Maybe I should kill you, too. Right now. It would kinder than if that bastard gets you and sucks you in with his big smile. Now I’m a bastard, too, but you don’t know that. I’m no better than him. Not really. But, you know what? I can’t do any more cat killing, not now. You’re OK with me…Better turn out the light before she screams. You’n me can go to bed and you just pray that I don’t squash you flat in the night and don’t squawk for food because there isn’t any. I’ll try and get you some milk in the morning, though God only knows how I’m going to do that! I just hope I can keep you alive…

‘You’ve got to go under the floor in the daytime ‘cos if you don’t, the bastard’ll get you. I know what I’m going to call you.