He still shuddered to think of that time. He’d had a scary week or two till Gail came out of it, and didn’t know what he’d have done without his neighbour Jane to look after Hayley. He didn’t want to go into any more details about Gail with his mother, so he changed the subject. ‘How are the kids?’

Her voice grew softer. ‘Beautiful as ever. They had a good breakfast, then a bath and now they’re playing with the toy box.’

‘I knew you’d look after them well. Can I speak to them?’

After he’d finished chatting to Hayley and Ryan, and got his mother back on the phone, Jez signalled to him. ‘Jez wants a word with you.’ Tom handed over the phone.

‘I’ll look after him, Mary.’

Angry, staccato sounds at the other end.

‘I don’t drink or do drugs these days, haven’t for years. I saw too many people dragged down by them, one way or another. And they got in the way of my music. Look, I’ll help Tom in whatever way he wants and we’ll be in touch with you after we’ve seen a lawyer.’

‘It’s a doctor Gail needs, not a lawyer.’

‘The lawyer is to protect Tom and make sure he gets custody of the children while she’s – er, incapacitated. For their safety.’

‘And no doubt you’ll be telling him to divorce such an unsuitable wife!’

‘Is she unsuitable?’

Silence, then a sigh. ‘Yes. I never liked her. But Tom swore in church to take her for better for worse.’

Jez wasn’t getting into that sort of argument. ‘We’ll ring you again after we’ve spoken to the lawyer, Mary.’ He put down the phone and looked at his son. ‘Do you want to phone your wife now?’

‘No.’

‘Might be wiser.’

‘Even if I wanted to, she’ll still be sleeping it off. She doesn’t rise early these days. Some days she doesn’t rise at all.’

Tom’s sense of unreality continued until the lawyer arrived, asking questions that struck straight at the quivering mass of pain inside him. He had a hard time keeping it together as he talked. He’d been hiding his problems for a long time and it was even harder than he’d expected to reveal all the sordid details.

After a while, the lawyer turned from him to Jez. ‘Shall I send someone up north to sort it?’

‘Have you got someone suitable?’

He smiled and said in his plummy voice, ‘Oh, yes. One of our junior partners, Stephen Perriman, is very sound and specialises in divorce.’

‘Then get him on to it. The sooner the better.’

‘Mr Prichard will need to be there too.’

Jez turned to his son. ‘I can send you back in a car as soon as you’re ready.’

Tom knew then that the bubble was about to burst, so he nodded, trying to look as if he wanted to go back and leave his father, with so much yet to say. He didn’t want to go. No way.