Chapter 1

The air felt damp and chilly. Overhead, low dark clouds rolled past, threatening a downpour at any moment. However, Lily wasn't taking any notice of the weather. She was full of chatter from spending her first day at a new school. She clung to her mother's hand as they made their way home.

                'Miss Thomas said my picture was the best,' said Lily as she skipped along.

                Her mother looked at her and smiled. 'Wow. Well done, darling.'

                'She put it on the wall with everyone else's. But mine was the only one with a gold star on it. She said I can bring it home tomorrow.'

                'So, you like Miss Thomas, then?'

                'Oh, yes. She smells nice and doesn't shout at me.' Lily frowned. 'Not like my last teacher.'

                'Mr Arnold?'

                'Yes. Mr Arnold wasn't very nice, was he Mummy?'

                'No, he wasn't. But what did I tell you?'

                'Bad things always happen to nasty people like him. That's right, isn't it Mummy?'

'Well, yes. Sometimes they do. But only if they truly deserve it.'