“Will you be in trouble? For Christ’s sake Jack, how much more trouble can you be in? I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I’ll tell you one thing…when this gets out we’ll all suffer the consequences.”

We both jumped at the sound of the front door closing.

“Go up to your room – Now.” My voice started to tremble. “I’ll tell him later, let’s wait till he’s had his tea.” I lunged at the discarded cigarettes on the floor and stuffed them under the settee, sprayed some air-freshener into the air and binned the drinks can, just in time to see the living room door open.

“You’re finished early.” I forced a smile to my face and hoped my cheerful voice didn’t ring as false as it did to my own ears.

“Thought I’d surprise you; see what you get up to when I’m working.” Jason’s thin-lipped smile held no humour; his eyes, blue as a kingfisher’s plumage, surveyed every detail of the room. They rested on me. He sniffed the air. “Do you have to spray that sickly stuff? Have you been smoking again, Mahri?”

“No, of course not,” I turned to plump up a cushion, avoiding his gaze. “Janie was round for a visit earlier, I just let her smoke one; she was upset about Matt’s redundancy. Do you know they might lose the house?”

“Matt’s a lazy bastard, I’m surprised he hasn’t been laid off before now.” His eyes and handsome smile held a warmth that wasn’t there. People called him Smiler. He liked that, probably enjoying the irony.

 “So what have you been up to?” He sat in his chair, resting both feet on the coffee table.

“Oh just the usual, cleaning, shopping,” I made for the kitchen, “I’ll make a start on your tea, will chicken pie do? Or do you want me to defrost that sirloin?”

“Not yet, come, sit down, and join me,” He grabbed hold of my arm as I tried to pass, I flinched, noting the fresh grazes on his knuckle. “I’m very interested in how your day’s been and I’m sure you’ll want to hear about mine,” bile rose to my gullet at his tone, “and my conversation with Tom Fraser. Oh and I think Jack should join us, don’t you?”