He tugged at his jacket lapel as he followed her over the threshold into a hallway hung with photographs of the family – Steel, Susan, and little Jasmine. Making sandcastles on a beach somewhere with palm trees, flying a kite in Duthie Park, eating sandwiches on Brimmond Hill, playing on the dodgems down the beach. . . The row of coats hanging on the rack featured a bright-red duffle coat, a pair of tiny yellow wellington boots lined up beneath it.

What sounded like a dog eating a cactus, but was probably meant to be singing, oozed from somewhere down the hall – a TV tuned to some awful talent show.

Steel paused at the living-room door and stuck her head in. ‘Sooz? Laz is here. You want a drink? ’

Click – the noise from the TV died, and Susan appeared. At least ten years younger than Steel, she was the spitting image of a Cary-Grant-era Doris Day, only chunkier and with longer blonde hair, wearing a blue summer dress. She smiled, making little wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. ‘Hello, stranger, it’s been ages.’

He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. ‘You look great.’

‘Pfff. . . I wish. Two and a half years and I still can’t shift the baby weight. You want to see Jasmine? She’s asleep, but you could peek in? ’

Steel grabbed a handful of Susan’s arse and jiggled it. ‘Don’t know what you’re worrying about. I like a woman with a bit of padding, just means there’s more of you to love. Now,’ she gave the handful a slap, ‘you show Laz upstairs and I’ll get the drinks in. . .’

Jasmine lay flat on her back, arms and legs splayed out like a drunken starfish wearing stripy black-and-white pyjamas, little toes and fingers twitching as she snored.

Susan sighed, crept into the room, and pulled the blanket over her. Then came back to the doorway and put a hand on Logan’s arm, her voice a whisper. ‘It’s been so long, we were worried you didn’t want to see her.’

Great: guilt. ‘It’s just been a bit of a sod at work. And with Samantha and everything. . .’

‘You know you’re always welcome here. You’re not just a donor, you’re a member of the family. And it’s good for Jasmine to see her dad from time to time.’

‘I know, I know. I’ll try harder. I promise.’

‘Good.’ Susan gave him a little hug. ‘Now let’s go get that drink.’

Steel added an obscenely hefty measure to her own glass, then put the bottle of whisky down on the breakfast bar. A couple of plates sat next to it, arranged with olives, cheese, slices of salami, and cured ham. She helped herself to a slice of prosciutto, stuffing it into her mouth, then chasing it down with a sip of Isle of Jura while Susan went off to fetch the crisps.