It felt like Kris was taking forever but when Sian looked at her phone, she saw that it had only been eight minutes. She was lying on the sofa and staring at the ceiling, imagining faces emerging from the stains and pock marks in the paintwork. Elvis climbed on to the far cushion, curling himself up and placing his chin on her legs. 'Next time, I'm adopting a dog that sniffs for drugs,' she told him. But she was stroking his head and enjoying his warmth beside her.
Just as Sian decided she should ring Kris again, Elvis sat up taller and let out a deep bark. She tried to stand up, forgetting about her injury. It was more painful than before and she struggled to put her weight on it. She hopped and limped to the door, opening it as Kris went to ring the bell.
‘Oh,’ he said, stepping back i
