"But…" Red began, then his brain seized up.
"Spit it out, lad!" Big Red frowned. "We want to get some sleep."
Red shook his head. "Nothing."
He stared at his parents in despair.
* * *
Edna Brockless needed the toilet. Dressed in her nightgown and groggy with sleep, she made her way from her bedroom along a thickly-carpeted landing into the bathroom.
Her first impression when she opened the door was of a scene that felt as if it belonged in someone else"s life, rather than in her own. Cabinet doors stood wide open and bottles of pills were scattered everywhere. A figure, hunched over the sink, was about to wash down a handful of pills with a glass of water.
Edna rushed at Brock and knocked the pills from his hand. He let go of the glass, which smashed in the sink.
"George! What…? GE
