‘Cheeky bitch!’

‘No, no. That’s what my project is about. Tattoos and regrets. I’ve been taking photos of tattoos that people regret and then interviewing them. The project’s a mixture of photos and words. It’s all anonymous. There are no faces and no names.’

‘Then you should have given Lloyd a ring. He’s got a fuckload of tattoos, most of them grim. Apart from the one of my name. Obviously that’s a beauty although I bet he bloody regrets it now! Oh, that reminds me, Claire. Guess who texted me yesterday?’

‘Lloyd?’

‘Yep. He’s coming to Bristol this weekend.’

‘To your house?’ Kira asks. She looks as horrified as Liz does.

‘Mmm-hmm.’ Liz nods. ‘I said I’d meet him in Charlie’s Bar but he wouldn’t have it. He’s insisting on coming to the house.’

‘Why?’

‘Maybe he wants to get back with you?’ Kira says.

‘No chance. I wouldn’t take him back even if he begged. No, my guess is that he wants to meet at home because he doesn’t want a row in public. Or tears,’ she adds quickly. ‘I think he’s going to ask for a divorce.’

‘Why not tell you that over the phone?’

‘Because he’s a sadist?’

‘Will he be coming round here?’ Kira asks. Considering she normally takes the first opportunity to escape from the kitchen and go up to her room she seems unusually interested in this conversation.

‘Yeah.’ Liz laughs. ‘I thought we’d throw a welcome-home celebration for him and parade him round the streets. The prodigal fuckhead returns! Why the hell would he come round here?’

Kira shrugs. ‘To see Mark?’

‘Yeah, like they’re the best of friends. I think they only tolerated each other because Claire and I are such good mates.’ She looks at me. ‘Isn’t that right?’

‘Yes.’ It’s a lie, but only to spare her feelings. It took our husbands a while to warm to each other but they did get on and by the time Liz and Lloyd’s marriage was on its last legs they were definitely friends. Not that Mark has heard much from Lloyd since he walked out on Liz; a couple of replies to his texts but never more than a terse I’m good, mate or I’m living up north.

‘Kira, are you okay? You look a bit pale, sweetheart.’ Liz pulls out a chair. ‘Have a seat.’

‘I do feel a bit light-headed.’ She presses a hand to the side of her head. ‘I think I’ll have a lie-down upstairs.’

She makes a move towards the hallway but I move to intercept her.

‘Kira, before you go. Could I talk to you about something?’

‘Um …’ She touches the side of her head again. ‘I’m really not feeling very—’

‘I know what happened in the Lodekka last year. I know why Jake hit Billy.’