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‘I’ you I don’t want to hear one more word from you to Hannah on this subject And if I do, or if Hannah tells ain –’

‘You’ll do what?’ Sahed

‘I’ll contact the filo and get on with your homework’

‘You wouldn’t do that’

‘Try , slouched away upstairs

Which child to see first? Cat was about to check that Felix was happy constructing another tower block with his Bob the Builder Site Kit, then go to Hannah, when she had one of her increasingly rare le parent was far worse for , money, family, friendships, but the lonely responsibility was the sas like this one and she struggled to knohich way to turn, and longed for the presence of just one other adult Any other adult

She checked on Felix, who barely looked up fro site,her brother

‘Serrailler’

‘Hi, you in the ?’

‘Sorry, didn’t check it was you How’s stuff?’

‘How long have you got?’

‘Ahnot all that long actually’

‘The case?’

‘No, I’ot him?’

‘Think so Problem of lack of evidence but we’ll find it So, I’ had a shower, and I was just choosing a shirt’

‘Aha Date then’

‘Yes and I’ht?’

‘Fine,’ Cat said ‘Just wanted a catch-up but we can do that another tiht?’

‘Great Thanks Can we have roast chicken?’

‘Sure And maybe you can have a ith Sa What’s the new Daniel Radcliffe done now?’

‘You one to his head in a really unpleasant way’

‘OK, I’ll have a word’

‘Thanks, bro Have a great evening Love to Rachel’

She thought about Rachel as she finished her coffee Felix was singing ‘Can We Fix It?’ happily in the den Upstairs was silent Even Hannah’s Radio 1 didn’t see

Occasionally, Cat worried about Rachel, because she was so vulnerable and because of Simon’s track record omen She wondered if he had ever seriously loved any of them and then checked herself – yes, he had loved Freya Graffham, she was pretty sure And Rachel? Yes He had not talked very much about her, but when he had there was a seriousness in his voice, a depth of emotion he had rarely displayed before He was sensitive to her situation and to how difficult it was for her to split her time and her loyalties between hiht have accepted her relationship with Siuilt would be there, and anxiety, worry about the future Kenneth was in the late stages of Parkinson’s but that did notto die any time soon They had snatched hours and the occasional weekend They would have this evening and tonight And then? Besides, she wondered if Rachel understood just how committed he was to his work, how much it took up not only of his tiies and co in the dishwasher She loved her brother completely, but sometimes she saw a ti the field, in his sixties and heading for retirement And then what?

‘I think I’ll be put to bed now,’ Felix said, co in

‘I see – is the builder’s work over for the day then?’

‘Yes, but to a demolition job so I need a lot of sleep’

He was the only one of her children who had ever voluntarily suggested that it was bedtilanced round at her and she caught a flash of her brother’s looks on his five-year-old face, the same slow half-smile ‘I wish Molly would come back’

‘She will, but not quite yet’

‘Does her mummy still need to have her?’

‘Yes And she needs to have her mummy’

‘She sent me a particular crane I needed for the job so I love her’

Cat laughed ‘I know But you love her anyway, even without the particular crane’

She watched him strip off his shirt and jersey as he went into the bathrooether on the chair He was the easiest of her children in every respect, by a country mile

Twenty minutes later, he had fallen asleep in the ht, went across the landing and listened A slight sound fro Sam read more books than anyone she knew apart fros out with him That would almost certainly involve a full-scale row and she needed to prepare herself carefully for what she would say, to ht do to them both

Let Sam stew

‘Hanny?’

Silence

‘Can I co up on the bed, fully dressed but with her duvet pulled up around her, and her diary open on her knees

‘I don’t want to talk about it anybecause no way’

Cat sat down and put out her hand Hannah ignored it

‘Don’t take it out on me, Han’

‘He’s mean and I hate him He didn’t even want to be in a film, he doesn’t even do dra’

‘And don’t say so’

Cat wondered what there was that she could say to help and decided probably nothing at all Hannah was right – it was unfair, life often was, and Saot the part in the filer film he hadn’t so much as tried for What was there to be said about any of it?

‘I just wish I could do so to help I wish I couldme stuff won’t work so don’t bother’

‘Han’

Hannah flung herself across Cat suddenly, her ar round her, and sobbed and sobbed, and Cat saw that it was the only thing she could do and all Hannah wanted, even if it did not and could not change what had happened, or the unfairness of it all

I’h Not aloud Inside It all happens inside Laughing like that, toup to

I always used to srin off , I can do that inside and no one will ever know

So tonight, I laughed until I had a pain in hed

Because what could be funnier? I ask you ‘Police today issued a stateedin connection withPolice have charged