As dawn made a dismal attempt to break through the misty darkness of mid-winter, Vince stood on the doorstep of Susie’s house, a set of keys in one hand and a small suitcase in the other. For the longest time he stared at the door, his shoulders slumped. He leaned forward until his forehead touched the timber and drew in a long, ragged breath. The air came out white and wispy and floated around his head. A veil of sorrow.
A car passed and he jolted upright.
Among the tangle of keys he found the right one. As long as Susie hadn’t changed the locks.
The entry light was on, but the rest of the house was dark apart from a glow at the top of the stairs in the direction of Susie and David’s bedroom.
Vince turned abruptly and grabbed the handle of the door he’d just closed behind himself.
‘D
