Cynthia had taken to calling her ‘sis’ and it sounded more false each time she heard it.

‘All right, Cynth? I thought I’d pop in and give you a quick hello.’

Cynthia’s eyes said ‘not at this time of night you haven’t’, but she didn’t question further. Instead she said brightly, ‘Come through to the kitchen, I’ll make a cuppa. Or I’ve a nice bottle of wine if you’d prefer that?’

Celeste followed her sister into the pristine kitchen and asked frankly, ‘Got any vodka?’

Cynthia turned to face her sister and, smiling sadly, she said sympathetically, ‘That bad?’

Celeste nodded.

Cynthia responded, ‘That’s why I’m still up and about too, James is on the missing list as well.’ She poured them both large vodkas and, gulping deeply from hers, she grimaced in a comical manner before saying, ‘I know you can’t tell me what’s going down, but I can guess from the fact you’re here it’s important. I know I done a wrong one, but it was only because I was frightened for James. He’s a cokehead, you know that, don’t you?’

Celeste didn’t answer her, she didn’t know what to say.

‘He snorts it up like it’s going out of fashion – out of his nut most of the time, he is. Now I know better than anyone that I’m not the greatest wife, or mother come to that, but I was jealous of you, and frightened for him. Does that make sense? I know now that what I did was wrong, was disgusting, and I’m paying the price for that. But you’re still my little sister and I can see you’re not right. You can confide in me if you like, or we can just sit here and talk about nothing. It’s your call, Celeste. Either way, I’m here for you, OK?’ It was said with honesty and humbleness.

Celeste knew that her sister really meant what she was saying. Her time in the wilderness had obviously hit her hard, but she knew what Jonny would say if he ever found out she’d told Cynthia anything. ‘I can’t talk about it, Cynth, I wish to fuck I could. But I just can’t.’

Cynthia plastered a smile on her lovely face and said in a resigned manner, ‘Fair enough. We’ll talk about something else. Have you seen the dresses in that new shop in Ilford? I treated myself the other day.’

Smiling gently, Celeste listened as her sister prattled on, grateful for her company, and glad that they were back on some kind of even footing. But the worry was still there, and she wondered when this bloody night would ever end.

Chapter Thirty-One