CHAPTER 44
SHE’D PERFECTED THE art of drinking vodka in the car before starting work at the library. There was no tell-tale smell on her breath for Neville to find in the evenings, and the alcohol put her in a comfortable frame of mind at the start of the day and took away the pain of knowing that her daughter was happier being looked after by another woman.
Thelma stopped the car a couple of streets away from the library, reached down under the driver’s seat and brought out a half-bottle of the clear nectar. Gulping down a few more mouthfuls she closed her eyes and felt the alcohol warm her body. However, more recently she was finding that she often craved its effects later on in the day as well and was starting to give in to temptation, but had not let Neville anywhere near her on t
