SIXTY-SEVEN
It was late by the time that Emma Cox reached home, to the cottage in the village of Peak Barley that she shared with her partner, Alice Hitchins. Wearily she made her way into the back room where Alice was watching television, a documentary about climate change, a cause which she was passionate about, believing that mankind was destroying the planet wholesale. And who is to argue?
‘Hello, love.’ Alice said as Emma entered, getting to her feet. ‘My god, you look f*****g awful, what is it, what’s wrong, has something happened? You do really look like shit.’
Emma sank with a sigh into an armchair, breathing heavily. ‘It’s been an absolute bastard of a day. I’ve seen stuff that’ll haunt me for ever.’
‘I’ll get you a drink and then you can tell me all about it, get it off your
