Once the tea was made, she took it through to Vanda, who always looked a fright first thing. Make-up all smeared and her eyes glued together, wayward tufts of hair everywhere. Clothes were draped all over the place and the room smelt ripe and salty and perfumed all at the same time. The occasional slight whiff of dead rat entombed in the wall added an unpleasant top note.
