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‘It’s okay,’ said Erika spying a dustpan and brush on the radiator by the door She retrieved it and kneeled down to help

‘I was out in the garden, I otshards of broken china

‘So it was her idea to go into town and confront Trevor?’ asked Erika sweeping the tiny bits of cup into the dustpan

Laura nodded She picked up the last of the big pieces and stoodover to a pedal bin

‘Did she say who the person was on the end of telephone?’

‘She said it was a journalist,’ replied Laura pressing on the pedal, the lid popped up and Erika moved over to tip the pieces in from the dustpan On the top was a small cardboard pill box with the name Halcion written on it

‘Is someone ill?’ asked Erika

‘That what the doctor prescribed for Mu,’ said Laura She ain

‘So there was no name?’

‘I don’t know his name,’ she said quickly

‘The journalist was a ‘he’?’

‘Oh, I thought you meant the doctor, um no I she didn’t tell me the name of the journalist or if he was a he or a she… As I said, we’ve had soetc’

Laura filled the tea pot with her back to Erika

‘Did your Mu to do?’

‘She wanted to see Trevor, and she wanted to ask him once and for all if he did it’

‘Didn’t you realise it was a bad idea, Laura?’

Laura placed her hands on the work surface and bowed her head, nodding

‘She’d had a lot to drink, and said she was going to drive into toith or without me’

‘Did you know your mother had taken a knife?

‘No, and I wouldn’t have taken her if I knehat she was going to do… What’s going to happen to her? I think she’s finally lost it Do you think they’ll commit her to a mental hospital? Or should I commit her?’

Laura started to cry and Erika went and took her in her ar ‘We need a funeral We need to draw a line under all this pain and suffering, and we need to put Jessica to rest Do you knoe can have it?’ She looked up at Erika

‘I hope you can very soon… What does Oscar Browne have to say?’

‘What do you mean?’ she answered sharply She pulled away froe

‘He’s working as your liaison with the police He’s asked us to be the point of contact for the family?’

‘Yes Sorry, he is,’ said Laura Her hands were still shaking

‘How is your relationship after all these years?’