Ethan parks the car and double-checks it is locked before striding up the path to the front door. This place is a dump. The area is run-down anyway, and clearly nobody who lives at number one is keen on gardening. The front yard is a wasteground of patchy balding lawn and garbage.
He rings the bell and waits. A long time passes and he is starting to wonder if Ste has forgotten he is coming, when there are scuffling noises and the door opens.
"Hi Ethan"says Ste breathlessly, stepping aside for Ethan to come in. He is holding a wailing, wriggling little boy, who is whacking his arm with a red plastic truck. "Come in. I've got the kids at home today so it's a bit of mess".
He's not kidding. There are toys all over the living room floor, and half eaten bowls of cereal on the coffee table, complete with plastic soldiers floating in the milk. Damp clothes hang on an airer next to the radiator, giving the room a strange humid feel and the smell of a launderette.
Ethan had forgotten that Ste has kids, and is momentarily phased by this scene. He doesn't know Ste well or anything, but he is used to seeing him with Noah at their flat, and is struggling to adjust his mental image of the guy to fit with this domestic chaos. He is also curious about the fading bruises on Ste's face, but he does not ask.
"Do you want tea?" Ste asks. The little boy has stopped wailing and Ste settles him down to play quietly with his truck. Ethan wonders where the other kid is.
"No, I'm fine," Ethan says, "It shouldn't take long. It's just a few questions and then I'll get out of your way."
Ethan sits down cautiously on the sofa, avoiding a small triangle of squashed jam sandwich on one of the seat cushions.
"So..," says Ste, leaning against the kitchen doorframe. "..what are these questions about?"
Ethan notices that Ste seems twitchy, one arm clutching the other nervously across his narrow body. He knows that Ste has history with the police, and tries to sound reassuring as he explains what he wants.
"It's about India Longford and Brendan Brady" he says, trying to make it quite clear that Ste is not under any suspicion. He notices that instead of relaxing though, Ste visibly tenses, particularly at the mention of Brady's name. He looks quickly away from Ethan and then refocuses on his son, who is now piling little plastic bricks into the back of his truck.
"We have India's diary, and in it she mentions a night out with Brendan, Rae and yourself, not long before she died. She and Brendan had some kind of falling-out that night, and they didn't see each other again after that. I was wondering if you could remember what happened, or what they argued about."
He looks hopefully at Ste, who is now looking even more uncomfortable, picking nervously at the frayed sleeve of his polo shirt.
"But I thought Brendan had been released," he said. "I thought he wasn't a suspect anymore because he's got an alibi".
"We're just continuing to check things out, to make sure we can eliminate him from the investigation," says Ethan smoothly, trying again to sound reassuring. "He does have an alibi for Rebecca Massey's murder, but we are still trying to establish where he was the evening of India's murder. Brendan says he can't remember."
"Oh…right," says Ste hesitantly, "Well, have you checked the rotas at the club? He was probably there."
"Yes, we've already checked. He wasn't working the night of the 22nd, so that's no help."
"Oh." Ste sounds disappointed and looks down, but then jerks his head up, suddenly animated. "Hang on, what date did you say?"
"December 22nd," Ethan says, "we're only interested in the evening. It was a Wednesday"
"The Wednesday right before Christmas?" asks Ste. He is looking intensely at Ethan, who nods.
"Well, I can tell you where he was that evening" continues Ste, "…he was at home all evening. I know for sure, because I was with him".
"You were with him?" asks Ethan, "at his home?" He makes a mental note to double-check the rotas, but his gut tells him Ste is not lying.
"Yeah" says Ste with a little more confidence. He takes a deep breath and continues. "Brendan and me…we were...seeing each other…y'know…sleeping together. He didn't want anyone to know, so he went out with India a few times, for cover." He pauses and looks slightly nervous again. "Everyone knows about us now anyway since he kissed me at the club, so it doesn't matter me telling you."
Ethan has no idea what kiss Ste is talking about, but he is interested in Ste's obvious anxiety about sharing private information about Brendan Brady. He is starting to wonder if the bruises are something to do with Brady.
"Right" he nods, returning his train of thought to the alibi. "So the two of you were together at Brendan's house the night of the 22nd December? How come you remember so clearly? How can you be so sure?"
"Because it was…I can just remember. I stayed a really long time and we ate bacon sandwiches and that film 'Independence Day' was on the telly."
"Wow, you really can remember it clearly" says Ethan, making another mental note to check the tv listings for the film.
"Yes" says Ste simply.
He can remember every detail of that evening. They had gone straight to the bedroom without much chat as usual, but Brendan had been strangely gentle with him, and had whispered something into his hair as he was falling asleep afterwards. He didn't hear what it was, but he knew it was something good because Brendan had slept with his arm over Ste's body, like he was guarding it from thieves. Ste had lain awake, feeling the weight of that arm, watching Brendan sleep, and wishing they could stay like that forever; that Brendan would stay like this forever. It seemed unreal that this was the same person who had broken his ribs.
When Brendan woke up an hour later, there had been more sex and then Brendan had suddenly got up, started putting his clothes on, and announced that he was starving. Ste had assumed with a sinking feeling that the moment was over and it was time for him to leave, but Brendan had thrown his t-shirt at him and asked if he wanted a bacon sandwich. Ste had blinked stupidly at him, not knowing how to react to this strange new Brendan who wanted him to stay and eat bacon sandwiches. He was worried that whatever he said would break the spell, so he had just nodded.
Brendan had made the sandwiches and a proper pot of tea, in a teapot. Ste had liked that; the tea in the teapot. They had sat on the sofa, eating bacon sandwiches and watching that film. His confidence now high, Ste had tentatively leaned against Brendan, to see if he would tense up or shrug him off. Instead he had draped an arm round Ste's shoulder and let him rest right against his body. Ste had never felt more comfortable anywhere, and they stayed like that for a long time, half watching the film, not really talking much, but not silent either.
He had stayed till late, when Brendan started getting twitchy and watching the clock because Cheryl was due back soon. Ste had known then for sure that something very strange was going on, because Brendan had grabbed his car keys and said. 'I'll drive yer, just in case'. In case of what? But he hadn't asked, and Brendan had driven him home.
And that had been it. The next day at work Brendan had been even edgier than usual, constantly pacing, his hands moving, silent and wound up as tight as a coiled spring. He'd said nothing about the previous evening and Ste knew better than to mention it. He could sense something big was going on, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know what, and he had never found out.
Then they'd all heard about the murder, and then it was Christmas and he'd been busy with the kids, and …
Ste snaps back to the moment and realises that Ethan is talking to him and he has not heard a word.
"Sorry…what?" he asks, shaking his head.
"I just said that's about it" repeats Ethan. "You've been really helpful. Might need to ask you a few more questions if anything comes up, but I reckon that's probably it. Thanks again."
He gets up and starts moving towards the door, stepping deftly round the kid and the red truck, which is now transporting a wild-haired naked Barbie doll along the carpet.
"Probably see you at the flat some time?" Ethan says slightly awkwardly, and immediately wishes he hadn't. He does not like it when work life overlaps with his home life.
Ste nods and smiles lamely before walking him to the door.