Jim follows Alan inside. “Take me through your day so far.”
Alan can hear the officers in the kitchen and upstairs. To be honest, he doesn’t want to revisit either the back door or his nephew’s room. All he wants is Brooks home, safe and sound, is that too much to ask?
But Jim’s hand presses against the small of his back, giving Alan some much needed strength. “Right, well, I came down for a cuppa.”
As Alan moves towards the kitchen, Jim’s arm eases around his waist, but it’s gone before the officers at the back door can look up and see it. Still, Alan appreciates the show of support. “I made some tea, got the paper—”
He turns back the way they came and nods at the front door.
“Got the paper,” he continues. “Came back, tea was ready, sat down to read, felt a chill, and looked up to se
