She got herself a cup of strong coffee and sat sipping it. To her surprise Ross came downstairs on the same mission.

‘Not at work?’ she asked, not really caring, but feeling a need to fill the silence.

‘I put in long hours last week, so I’ve got a day off in lieu. I’m working on something of my own.’ He hesitated, then sat down with his cup of coffee. ‘You look awful. Aren’t you feeling well?’

She shook her head then wished she hadn’t. ‘Ouch. No. I – um – overindulged last night.’

‘You’re not into those fancy cocktails again?’

‘What concern is it of yours? And no, it wasn’t cocktails.’

‘If it’s drugs you’re getting into, I’m outta here. I don’t want to get mixed up with that.’

‘It’s me who’s taking them, not you. You’re not affected.’

‘It’s a downhill track. Once you get really hooked, you start stealing or whoring to support your habit. I’ve seen it before with my cousin. She died of an overdose. Twenty, she was.’

Andi scowled at him. She didn’t like to hear stories like that. ‘I’d not let it go that far. I’m only into occasional recreational use.’

‘That’s how they all start, what they all say. And you’ve lost your job. How are you going to manage? How did you pay for last night’s pleasures? It’s definitely my concern whether you can pay your rent and your share of the groceries.’

‘I came into a little windfall, if you must know, so you’re safe for quite a while.’ She got her bag out, intending to show him the wad of notes Talbin had given her for the information about her mother and Jez. She’d taken the money with her by mistake the previous night, because her friend had turned up to give her a lift and had been nagging her to hurry up. But once she’d discovered what she’d done, she’d been really careful not to leave her bag unwatched. She scrabbled through the contents, but couldn’t find the roll of notes. Panicking, she tipped everything out on the table. A few coins rolled here and there, but there was no sign of the notes.

‘You didn’t take it with you to a club! Oh, Andi.’

She burst into tears. ‘I forgot I had it until I got there. How am I going to live now?’

‘Social security.’

She grabbed some kitchen roll to wipe her eyes, but the tears still kept coming.

‘Oh, hell, don’t!’

Ross put his arms round her and held her close till the sobs died down. She wiped her nose and eyes, then sat by the table while he made her another coffee to replace the cold one.

‘Why are you doing this to yourself?’ he asked.

She couldn’t think of an answer.

‘Do the drugs make you happy?’

She stared at him blankly then shook her head. ‘They just, you know, make things fun.’

‘For how long?’

‘A few hours.’

‘Can’t you find your fun another way?’