‘Oh for goodness’ sake, come in, or they’ll all be up here. Uncle Si’s downstairs, isn’t he?’

‘Yes.’

After a moment, Felix went in and shut Sam’s door.

‘I only wanted to see if you were OK.’

‘Yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off. You want some Maltesers?’

‘Great, thanks.’

The small red bag flew across the room. Sam had been lying on his bed, iPad and earphones beside him.

‘What’s happening about Rosie?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Anything you say will not go any further than these four walls.’

‘Ha, you’re reading Young Bond again.’

‘Alex Rider.’

‘Love them. Anyway, Rosie and I are taking a break, that’s all. She’s got finals, I’m waiting to start my job.’

‘I like Rosie.’

‘Yeah.’

‘I thought you two were really strong.’

Sam laughed. ‘Ha . . . you’re a good one to have around, you know that? OK, now take your Maltesers and hide them where no one will ever find them, I want to watch a film. Thanks.’

‘What for?’

‘Just thanks.’ Sam threw a second small bag across. Felix gave him the thumbs up and slipped out.

So, he didn’t believe the story, about his brother and Rosie just taking a break and his job and her exams, Sam was putting on a brave face, his mother had said as much to K, when he’d been coming past the open door, and that was not earwigging, he hadn’t been able to help overhearing. Sometimes, you just couldn’t.

Sixty

The floods had receded enough for the first earth-moving machinery to get on site, along with the stacked Portakabins. They had drained and laid down the heavy boards, the adjacent lot allocated for parking was filling up, but the first week would only see the men involved with ground preparations, so there were fewer cars and yellow hard hats than would eventually fetch up. There was not a great deal for them to do but watch, as the Caterpillars moved in through the gate and started to crawl across to the west side.

The place would be unrecognisable in a month’s time, a new development of executive-style detached luxury homes would be under way and the show home ready by May, all flags flying, for prospective buyers. A sales office, with more flags, would go beside the entrance gate, on a temporary base which was already being marked out.

Ollie Drinkwater, civil engineer, and his assistant stood looking at the space, still a dark mess of mud, close up to the remains of a half-demolished bramble hedge.

‘That should have gone.’

‘Looks as if they made a start though.’

There was a gaping space through the undergrowth.

Ollie shook his head. ‘Even they don’t begin in the middle. Something’s bulldozed through.’