Blissful Ignorance

Elsie was staying at the hospital with Charlotte. Kira was in the house alone. Who could be knocking on the door at ten o’clock at night? It wasn’t Austyn, for sure. He had a key. Kira got dressed in a hurry and dashed downstairs, armed with her phone in one hand and Elsie’s rolling pin in the other. The pounding on the door had not ceased in the meanwhile. ‘Who’s there?’ She stood behind the door. She tried to look through the peephole but it was too dark outside to see. ‘It’s me!’ Jesse shouted. ‘Open up!’ ‘Dr Chase?’ Kira set down the rolling pin and twisted the doorknob. ‘What are you doing here?’ ‘Give me a hand.’ Jesse had one arm flung over Austyn’s shoulder and the other around his waist. Austyn’s head was bowed. Kira gawked at him. She caught the strong stench of alcohol. ‘Don’t just stand there. Come on!’ Kira hurried forward to help. It took both of them to half-carry, half-drag Austyn into the living room. Jesse laid him down on the sofa and panted, out of breath. ‘How much