‘I’ll do you a deal . . . I’ll stop doing that, if you stop letting the dog lick your face.’

‘And what about the lies?’ Marie asked. ‘It’s like you can’t help yourself. You open your mouth and bullshit pours out.’

‘OK, no more lies,’ Evan promised. ‘From now on, we’ll be completely honest with each other.’

‘I already am,’ Marie said piously. ‘You’re the one who’s always sneaking around being secretive. And that’s another thing . . . why do you always go out of the room when your Jo rings? I know she’s your sister, but I’m your wife, and you shouldn’t let her come between us like that.’

Considering the on-off relationship he had with his sister, Evan didn’t think he had let Jo come between them. But she had been calling him a lot more often than usual since finding out about their dad and Irena, and he hadn’t discussed the situation with Marie, so he supposed his wife had a point.

‘We’re not hiding anything from you,’ he assured her. ‘She’s only been ringing to have a moan, ’cos she’s got a bee in her bonnet about the woman my dad’s taken in.’

‘Woman?’ Marie repeated, frowning. ‘You never told me he had a woman living with him.’

‘She’s not actually living there,’ Evan backtracked. ‘He’s letting her stay till she finds her own place.’

‘Was she there while you were staying?’

‘Yeah, but I didn’t spend any time with her, so you’ve got nothing to worry about,’ Evan lied. ‘I stayed in my room and left them to it.’

‘Left them to what? Is he seeing her, or something?’

‘He reckons not, but who knows?’ Evan shrugged and took a swig of beer.

‘What’s she like?’

‘I haven’t really spoken to her, but she’s dog ugly, and skinny – like a junkie.’

‘Why would Frank go for someone like that?’ Marie’s frown deepened. ‘I know he’s getting on a bit, but he’s a good-looking bloke, so he could easy get someone better.’

‘No idea.’ Evan shrugged again. ‘But our Jo’s told him she’s having nothing to do with him till he gets rid, so I doubt he’ll keep her there for too much longer.’

Marie’s eyes had narrowed again, and she peered at him with suspicion.

‘Is that why you’ve come back? Did he kick you out because you and Jo don’t like his girlfriend?’

‘No.’ Evan shook his head. ‘I’m not gonna lie, we did have words, but that’s not why I left. I came back because this has been going on too long and I wanted to come home.’