Susie Chater ran up the path to her fathers house, She hadn't heard from him since Sunday and today was Thursday. It was unusual for John Chater not to speak to his daughter almost every day, especially since her mother's death six years ago. Reaching the door she rang the bell, then remembered her key. She heard noises inside as she opened the door and her fathers footsteps thumped along the landing upstairs. Thinking why was he upstairs, she gasped as he came down the stairs trying to tie the cord on his dressing gown. She gasped and her hand flew to her lips.
"Sorry honey, sorry, I was upstairs and..." he ran out of steam and words, halting on the stairs.
"Johnnie, who is it?" A women's voice from upstairs. A women, what? Susie's mind was exploding and her voice was small and frightened.
"It's OK Dad I'll... I'll... you... Perhaps I'll call back later, yes, that would be..."
She also ran out of conversation and backed out of the doorway, pulling the door shut and running back down the path.
Twenty anxious minutes later she was outside her Brother Jamie's place having parked nearby. She rang his doorbell and waited. No answer, she found his spare key and let herself in. Walking though the hall she heard the sound of his radio in the bathroom. She walked in without hesitation to find Jamie lying in his bath, a flannel over his face, the radio blaring out the commentary for his favourite football team.
"Jamie I need to talk to you." She shouted over the radio, then reaching out switched it off. Jamie sat up and looked round at her.
"Hallo sis, what are you doing here?" he grinned, dropping the flannel in the water.
"I went to see Dad and he was upstairs undressed and with a women."
"Lucky sod!" grinned Jamie wringing the flannel out and starting to wash himself.
"Jamie! That's not what i wanted from you."
