Fred stopped breathing. A loud ringing noise entered his head and made his vision blurry. He stumbled and held on to the door, vaguely aware that the two uniformed officers were grabbing him. He allowed himself to be held up, because he was able to do little else. Sandra gasped when he was half carried by the two strapping young men in black and white into their sitting room and plonked onto a sofa.

‘Fred?’ Sandra fussed about and Joe and his family stood by helplessly trying to work out what on earth was going on.

‘Sandra? Is everything all right?’ Joe asked.

‘What happened?’ Sandra asked one of the officers.

‘I’m afraid we just delivered some bad news, ma’am. He might need some water. We’ll take the liberty of waiting to see if he’s all right.’ It wasn’t a request. Sandra knew her rights, and she was fully aware that the police couldn’t insist on entering or snooping around one’s abode, but they didn’t seem to have any such agenda. She wondered what the bad news was.

‘It’s Mary, Sandra,’ was all Fred could say.

‘Mary? What?’ She looked at the police officers.

‘I’m sorry, ma’am, Mary Hales was found dead in her home on Friday evening.’

Sandra put her hand to her mouth and sat down heavily.

‘Sandra, maybe it’s a bad time. We should go.’ Annie spoke and looked worryingly towards her boys.

‘Perhaps the family could do with your support right now? It seems you know one another well?’ One of the officers spoke to Joe and left him little choice.

‘Annie, take the boys home, I’ll stay here.’

‘But all the food,’ Sandra said. ‘Let me pack some up for the boys.’

‘No, really, Sandra. Thank you. Maybe we’ll stay a while. Boys, can you come with me into the kitchen?’ The boys did as their mother bid them. Annie found the kitchen and closed the door behind the boys. She put the kettle on and turned off the oven.

‘Christ!’

‘What is it, Mum? Who’s Mary?’ Callum asked.

‘A friend of Fred and Sandra’s. It’s a huge shock. I think Dad will stay. I feel torn. I should help but I don’t want you two getting involved.’

‘We’re all right, Mum.’

‘I’m starving,’ said Connor. Annie smiled. She allowed them to fix a plate of food each and told them to sit at the kitchen table while she took some tea through for everybody. She put the kettle on and laid out some things on a tray, finding her way easily around Sandra’s kitchen, and took it into the sitting room. The two police officers were sat down and had removed their hats and coats. One took notes and they were asking questions about Mary. Joe sat silently. The police radios crackled.

‘What happened?’ Sandra asked.