‘The house is being sold, Lily, and you will get half the money. I am buying myself a flat and neither of you two will have the address. I’ve spent all my life listening; first to you, Mother, then to Lily, and finally to the blasted pair of you. I must be the only man in Christendom nagged in stereo.

‘Well, the buck stops here. George murdered all those people, including Elaine, and neither of you two even care. You’re worried about the neighbours. Fuck the neighbours! I couldn’t care less about them. My brother is dead, six women and a child have been murdered by him. So why don’t you two just shut your bloody stupid mouths up and think about other people for once?’

He began to walk from the room.

‘Where are you going?’ Lily’s voice was frightened.

‘Where the hell do you think? I’m going to phone poor Edith. She must be in a terrible state. Then I’m going to get my coat and go to a hotel. I’ll be back tomorrow to arrange for her to be put away - as far away as possible, I might add - and to sort this lot.’ He gestured around him with his hands.

Ten minutes later, they heard his car splutter to life and drive away.

‘This is all your fault!’ Lily turned on her mother-in-law.

‘Why don’t you piss off?’ Nancy’s voice was bored-sounding.

Lily pursed her lips. There had been too much swearing tonight for her liking. Just as she and Joseph were getting on a good footing, this had to happen!

As he drove along Joseph tried to piece together the night’s events in his mind.

George had finally gone over the top. Why hadn’t anyone noticed? He had been left too much to his own devices, Joseph supposed. They rarely visited except for Christmas. He was George’s elder brother and should have looked out for him more.

Well, his mother had gone too far this time. He must have been mad to put up with her all these years. His threat to Lily was shallow, he wouldn’t leave her, but he had a sneaky feeling that letting her think he would might augur better for their future.

Edith was in a terrible state, she was barely coherent. And deep down inside Edith knew, as he did, that it was their mother’s fault. He remembered shamefully how they had held George down while he was a child. How she had gradually strangled every natural instinct in them.

Joseph pulled the car over and sat for a few minutes. His hands were shaking on the steering wheel.