coroner: And as far as you’re aware, your father has lived in that flat for the whole period, since you were a child right up until the time of his death.
laura: Yeah.
coroner: And do you know why the council housing department are under the impression that they’d evicted your father some years previous to his death?
laura: Don’t know.
coroner: Were you aware of any attempt being made to evict him, during the time you were there?
laura: No.
coroner: He didn’t talk about it, express any anxiety or concern?
laura: No.
coroner: And you wouldn’t say that the level of his drinking had any connection with any potential eviction or financial difficulty?
laura: Not really, he’d been drinking like that for years anyhow.
coroner: Would you describe him as a heavy drinker?
laura: Don’t know. Depends what you call heavy.
coroner: Well, could you say how much he drank each day, typically?
laura: Depends how much he could get. One or two bottles, I suppose.
coroner: Of what?
laura: Mostly cider.
coroner: A bottle being how much?
laura: Big bottles, three-litre bottles, more if they’re on special.
coroner: Well, I’m not an expert, but I think we can say that between three and six litres of cider a day qualifies as heavy drinking, don’t you?
laura: (inaudible)
coroner: Well, I’m just trying to build up a picture of his general health at the time of his death. The toxicology report, as you’ve heard, found a very low level of alcohol in his bloodstream, although from the state of his liver and what you’ve told us he was quite clearly an alcoholic. Do you know why he hadn’t drunk any alcohol prior to his death?
laura: No.
coroner: He hadn’t said anything about wanting to stop drinking?
laura: No, only (inaudible).
coroner: Only what?
laura: Only, I mean, he knew about me going to rehab, he found out about it like. I told him, I mean. He might have thought, after that, you know.
coroner: He might have decided to do some rehab of his own, you mean?
laura: (inaudible)
coroner: Well, that would only be supposition.
Or was it Ben. Climbing in and. What was it. The way he did that pigeon that time it was like he could do any. The way he joined in on Steve when it weren’t nothing to do with. Just for the kicks. Something wrong with that one. Something wrong in the head. Something always about to boil over and. Where did he go. When he said he’d take the food up there. What did he do with. If he didn’t. And when. Where was Ben. Did he do something. Did he go in looking for money or looking for something else. Just for the kicks. Robert looking at him like he was still a boy like he wouldn’t do no harm. Taking the punches like they weren’t no matter. Was it. But Ben wouldn’t chance it on. Robert was sick but he was still a big. Did he. Watching the boy scramble out through the window and laughing and reaching for another drink but there weren’t no drinks there. Or he had one drink left and he kept putting it back. Putting it back in the. Going if Laura can do it so can. I’ll show. Who does she think. All high and mighty moral. When she’s just a. If she can. And a pain somewhere. And coughing and coughing and finding blood in his hands when he was. And coughing more blood. And going to the kitchen sink and watching the blood spew out. Going Christ what’s happening now. The blood on his. And shaking. Fucking. Hands clattering against the bloody sink and just. A pain somewhere. In his shoulder. In his neck. In his chest. Back in the sitting room and just these fucking tremors. Stretching his arms up to give. Reaching for something up above his head. Reaching out his arms going Christ I can’t breathe here what’s going on. Or not even a chance to say that or say nothing at all. Christ what’s going on.