‘She fell down the stairs.’ He couldn’t bring himself to say that tosser Joey had pushed her. It was too painful to talk about. A grandchild, a new life full of promise, smashed and dead. ‘She miscarried.’

‘God, I’m sorry.’

‘So you can see why I can’t come back yet. Soon. Not yet.’

Claire was silent for a moment.

‘Claire?’

‘Is this the way it’s always going to be for us?’ she asked in a small voice.

‘No. It isn’t. As soon as I can, I’m going to do it. Get the divorce rolling. I can’t go on like this much longer. I want to be there, with you, but I’m tied here. Once I can get a divorce through, things will get easier. The kids are grown, they’ll understand. I expect it’ll be a rough ride for a while, but they’ll come round.’

‘I can’t lose you again,’ said Claire.

‘Don’t say that. You never will. I’m coming back, just as soon as I can. I told you. When I have this sorted, we’ll be together and nothing is going to stand in the way of that, I promise you. On my life.’

‘The new place is beautiful,’ said Claire wistfully.

‘I can’t wait to see it again. And you.’

‘I love you, Josh.’

‘I love you too,’ he said, and hung up.

Claire stood alone in their lovely apartment, where the sun flooded in and lit the whole place. Slowly, she replaced the phone on its cradle and looked around at her new home. Hers and Josh’s. Suki’s too, whenever she wanted. Only Josh wasn’t here, with her. He was thousands of miles away, with his family. With that awful bitch Shauna who had hurt her in so many ways. And maybe this time the pull of his kids would be too strong. Maybe this time, he wouldn’t come home to her. She sat down on the couch, bathed in warm sunlight, her heart as heavy as lead, and wept.

112

112

Something changed in Aysha when she lost the baby. Within a couple of weeks she was back on her feet, but now she looked at the world with hostile eyes.

Josh and Connor went over to the Minghella house to try and find out what had happened with Joey. Old man Minghella looked like he’d done ten rounds with Sugar Ray Robinson, he was so cut and bruised. He had nothing to tell them except that Joey was gone and he didn’t know where.

‘I ought to beat the shit out of you,’ said Josh, dragging the smelly useless old cunt off the couch and staring into his eyes from inches away.

‘Don’t, don’t!’ Frank shouted, trembling. ‘They already done it, them bastards. Don’t hit me no more. I told them and I’m tellin’ you. I don’t know where he went.’