‘You’ve no idea?’

‘She just dropped off the planet.’

‘Does she have any family?’

‘Yeah.’

‘And you, Sid, do you have family?’

‘None of them talk to me.’

‘I’m going to need their names and numbers anyway.’

‘Ah, man, I don’t know … I can’t be fuckin’ dealin’ …’

‘Let’s get you straight, then,’ Fred said.

‘Ah, no, fuck off, will you?’

‘What about kids? Rave your only child?’

‘The only one left,’ Sid said, and instantly seemed sadder.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Fred said.

Sid’s eyes filled. His hands shook as he wiped the liquid snot from his nose.

‘Jason, Rave’s brother, died on the football field five years ago. He was seventeen,’ Maisie said, still not quite ready to descend the stairs and walk past Sid’s reeking piss.

‘I’m sorry,’ Fred said. ‘What happened?’ His tone was kinder.

Sid let out a deep, pained sigh. ‘He just died. No fuckin’ reason, no fuckin’ reason at all.’

Maisie bit her lip. His pain was still so raw even after all these years. It was hard to contemplate. Jason had been such a great kid.

‘He could have been a star – isn’t that right, Maisie? He had a way with the ball. You shoulda seen him.’

‘He was a great player, Sid.’ Even though she was angry with him, her heart went out to him. Who am I to judge you, Sid? I know I’d never get over that kind of loss.

Fred put out his hand. ‘You have to get up now.’

‘I can’t. Me foot.’

‘There’s an ambulance on the way,’ Tom said, from just behind Maisie.

‘Ah, no,’ Sid cried.

‘Ah, yes,’ Tom said. ‘Unless you want to die here.’

Sid gulped.

‘We’ll let them clean him up and we’ll take a statement in the hospital,’ Tom said.

They heard an ambulance siren pealing in the background. Maisie moved for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. She took each stair slowly and deliberately, and opened the front door. Fred walked the few steps into the hallway and opened the drawer of the old phone table. He pulled out an address book and held it up. As Tom reached Sid on the stairs, he nodded at Fred, who pocketed the book.

‘It’s time to go, Sid,’ Tom said.

Sid said nothing. He didn’t speak again until the paramedics had him secured on to a gurney and he was being wheeled out of the house. ‘Maisie?’

‘Yeah?’

‘It wasn’t always like this, was it?’

‘No. There was a lot of good too.’

‘Some really great times,’ he said.

She wondered if he even remembered or cared that his son was missing. He didn’t seem concerned. He was too preoccupied with feeling sorry for himself. It occurred to her that if he died Rave might be better off.