44
The rest of the day had passed in a blur. Once mid-afternoon came around, Caroline had innocently suggested they fire up the barbecue and share a bottle of wine. The sharing aspect hadn’t quite worked, and she’d drunk most of it herself. That had, naturally, led on to cider and beer, before spirits in the evening. Mark had mostly abstained, choosing instead to quietly berate her for drinking too much. But she really didn’t care. She’d enjoyed the calm sense of relief the alcohol gave her. The next morning, though, her head was feeling something very different indeed.
She was woken by the sound of jangling keys. It was a sound she recognised, but not one she’d expected to be woken by. She rolled over and opened one eye, watching as Mark took the keys from the bedroom dresser and put th
