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She could hear his voice again, more words, though she couldn’t make them out. It entered her mind that it was the radio, only the radio, but then there were scraping noises and the banging of things being thrown aside and the door opened.
    She froze, her hand still raised. Charlie was there, his face creased in puzzlement, and there was so much
light
; it was day again and she could step forward and just walk out of there, but she didn’t move. She could barely see his face for the brightness. It was Charlie who stepped forward, putting his arm around her, saying something to her, but she still couldn’t make it out. It was his warmth that she clung to, and she realised that she was crying after all; the tears had crept out of her while she was too stunned to stop them and her face was wet.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    It wasn’t until Charlie wrapped the duvet around her that Emma started to shiver. It was as if the cold had been buried deep inside and now it was leaving. She sat on the sofa in the drawing room surrounded by that perfect green paint and he put a mug of hot tea into her hands. She could get up and walk around if she wanted. She had been to the toilet and drunk about a gallon of water. She could have a shower, let the heat bring her back to warmth and life and reality.
    She thought she’d explained what happened but she couldn’t really remember. Her head felt fuzzy.
Someone came
, she thought, and a smile spread across her face: she couldn’t help it.
    Charlie didn’t smile back. He still looked worried.
    Maybe he isn’t really here
, she thought.
He’s gone and you’re still lying upstairs, only now you’re dead
. She shuddered.
    ‘Are you all right, seriously? I thought – I didn’t know what to think. Were you really in there all night?’
    She nodded and took a sip of tea. It was too milky but she didn’t care. Then she thought of something. ‘How – I mean, why are you—?’
    ‘Why am I here?’ He spread his arms, let them fall again. ‘Emma, I really have no idea. I didn’t intend to be; I’m not surewhat made me come back. Yesterday – I got a call from my mate, just as I was heading off, and he said his girlfriend was feeling better so I dropped in after all. I don’t think they’re getting along so well – she’d gone off to her mum’s – so we had a boys’ night in, drank some beer, watched a film, and I stayed over. I was passing close to here on the way back, so – I don’t know, I just suddenly thought I’d pop in, I suppose. I expected you’d be at work, to be honest, but – well, this house, it gets under your skin, you know? I thought I’d take another look at it before I left. And then I knocked, and you didn’t answer but the car was there, so—’
    Emma was staring. ‘Shit,’ she said. ‘
Work
. Christ, Charlie, what time is it?’
    ‘Just after ten – Emma, you can’t possibly be thinking of going in. Tell them what happened – they’ll understand, won’t they?’
    ‘I have to get dressed.’ She fought her way clear of the covers, her hands shaking; tea dripped across the carpet.
    ‘Emma,
stop
. You’re in no fit state. Sit back down, I’ll call them for you. Don’t worry, I’ll say I’m a friend and I’ll tell them you’re sick – you
are
sick, for God’s sake.’
    She sank back down. He was right, she felt dizzy. Her stomach was empty and it hurt. She needed warmth and – and
safety
, at least for a time. She supposed she should sleep, but the thought of settling into another confined space, wrapping herself tight in the bedclothes and closing her eyes, narrowing down the world – no, she didn’t want that, even though she knew she needed it.
    She watched him while he took her phone and found the work number she’d programmed into it. He drifted away,murmuring. She caught occasional words, but she could hear his tone and he sounded businesslike, to the point. It didn’t take long.
    ‘All done,’ he said. ‘I told them you might