Chris looked shattered as he walked back to the flat. The girl was quick, there was no sight nor sound of her. It was with a heavy heart that he walked back in through the front door.

‘Tina!’ he called. There was no reply. He shouted her name again, louder this time as he put his head round the living room door – it was empty. ‘Tina, where are you, love? Amelia has gone, we better get our story straight before the boys in blue come knocking. Fucking hell, the shit’s really going to hit the fan as soon as she breathes a word about where she’s been.’

He checked the bedrooms, the bathroom. Nothing. Only the kitchen left. He tried the door. It was wedged shut. Using his shoulder, Chris battered the door and forced his way inside. He’d only been gone twenty minutes. What the hell had she done? He stood over his wife, panicking. Small white tablets were scattered about the floor, an empty pill bottle held in her hand.

‘Tina, Tina, love, it’s me, Chris. Wake up, what have you done?’ As he shook her an empty bottle of tablets rolled onto the floor. Beside it lay a bottle of brandy. Nothing left. ‘Tina, wake up. God, God. Come on, love, wake up. Please, open your eyes, don’t leave me, don’t you dare leave me.’ His hands were trembling as he fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his phone, they were properly shaking as he dialled the emergency services. ‘Hello, hello? Send an ambulance quick, it’s my wife, she’s taken tablets, please hurry up, she’s not moving, please, please hurry up.’ He sobbed his heart out as he gave the details to the voice on the other end of the phone.

He stayed on the floor, cradling his wife’s inert body, kissing the top of her head. ‘Everything’s going to be alright, baby, just hang on in there, please. Tina, stay with me, stay with me.’ Tina didn’t move. Chris lay there on the lino floor and sobbed.

Chapter Thirty-One

Kevin sat across the room from Clare studying every inch of her. He was turned on, he wanted her back, she was the love of his life. She just needed to remember that. All the bad shit between them was gone for him and his heart melted as he looked at her. She was his woman and he was going to try every trick in the book to win her heart back. He looked cleaner than he’d done in a long time. New trainers, new tracksuit, a fresh trim. He smelt half decent too. Ged watched his dad from the corner of his eye, it was clear what he was up to. He turned back to the TV. Best to pretend that he hadn’t clocked him. His old man had a game plan and it amused him to see him in action.