“So talk,” Ceri said, staring at the ceiling.
“I’m so sorry, Ceri. That you had to see that. That you should find out that way. I... I should have said something to you before. I meant to, but we never seem to be in the same place at the same time.”
“So this is my fault?”
“Of course not. Of course not, darling.”
“Don’t you dare.”
The look Ceri shot him was so severe that Tim held up his hands in surrender, acknowledging his mistake. “What I’m trying to say is I should have told you. But it’s a function of our lives that we don’t spend as much time together as we used to.”
There was more than an element of truth in this, but Ceri was damned if she was going to admit it.
“I’m not blaming anyone,” he continued. “My business needs me and your job is incredibly demanding.”
“Why did you bring her here?” Ceri demanded, tired of his self-justification.
“Because I’m stupid. Because I didn’t think.”
“Why her?”
A long pause. Ceri watched her husband closely as he searched for the right words. This was the only question she really wanted an answer to.
“Because I like her. And because she wants to spend time with me.”
“And the fact that she’s young and pretty has nothing to do with it.”
“No, it’s not that. I know you won’t believe me. But I didn’t chase her. She approached me.”
“How nice.”
“Please, Ceri. I’m trying to explain. I didn’t want to hurt you. I haven’t been unfaithful before. To be honest, I never thought I would be. Didn’t want to be one of those men.”
“How disappointed you must be.”
“But she wanted to spend time with me. And that was very appealing.”
“And I don’t?”
“Do you?”
Ceri was so shocked by the response that initially she wasn’t sure what to say. “Of course I do. You’re my husband.”
“I haven’t been that for a long time.”
“Clearly.”
“I wasn’t talking about me, Ceri.”
Ceri stared at him. Now he looked unrepentant, which unnerved her more.
“We’ve hardly seen each other the last couple of years. We’ve been living together but... we’re ships that pass in the night. We do stuff with the kids at weekends, but when doweactually see each other?”
“In case you hadn’t noticed I had one of the biggest cases of my career last year.”
“I know that. Ella Matthews was a big deal. But that was ten months ago. And I don’t see you any more now than I did then.”
“Come on, Tim, you know what happened after the shooting. The public inquiry, the IPCC hearing—”
