He felt a rising irritation at Michaela’s tone, at the suggestion he heard that he was somehow more responsible for this than she was. If she thought she could do better, maybe she should try running a business basically single-handed because Hugo was off half the time getting his skin creams. Maybe she could try not dumping James, fucking off to Germany to live with this new geezer with big old trendy glasses (Karl had idly looked her up quite recently, on Facebook). Leaving James to deal with the depression and whatnot. The combative mental tone put him back on the front foot, and for a few moments Karl could believe that this situation was entirely of Michaela’s making, that his own involvement in it was negligible.

‘I’ve been ringing him, Mich. I’m not an idiot. I’ve been ringing him and nothing’s—’

‘I know. I have, too.’ What if the whole problem was just that everyone trying to call was getting in each other’s way, she thought. All at once she had a brutally clear mental image of James’s face – a person who could never seemingly think ill of anyone, assume anything but their goodwill – waiting by his phone. Only wanting someone to get in touch and say, It’s OK, you don’t need to feel like this, James. Even though she hadn’t really believed that that was what was happening – that this was a ‘cry for help’, like you heard about – Michaela now felt that was exactly it, and that it was terrible she couldn’t supply that help. She felt something soften in the wall she had put up between herself and Karl; felt herself reach for his hand across it.

‘I’m just scared, Karl.’

‘I know. Yeah.’ He swallowed. His tone had been too harsh. He was going to say me, too but something stopped him. ‘Look. I’m sure it’s going to be … we can sort this. I’ll keep trying him. You keep trying him. Right?’

‘OK,’ said Michaela, grateful for anything that sounded, however faintly, like an escape plan. There was creaking from upstairs. Phillip still wasn’t asleep. He was making a point of still not being asleep. ‘Stay in touch, will you?’