The village of Friars had been her home for twelve years. Not only had she integrated herself into the locals’ way of life, she had become a pioneer of the thriving community. She had created the neighbourhood book club and remained chair of the group; she was on the Board of Friars Parents at the local school, a member of the village watch, and a volunteer at the hospice. She had become the model citizen. To the rest of the village, she was the perfect wife, mother and neighbour. Just the way she liked it. But sometimes, she had to remind people that she wasn’t to be pushed around.

Amber crossed the street and walked up her neighbour’s driveway. Mr Penfold’s Audi was parked in front of the garage beside a tall van, hidden from view of the house. She crouched down beside the car and removed the blade from her coat pocket.

When she was done, she walked up to the front of the house and passed through the open door. The groundsheets placed over the carpets were covered in muddy footprints from workers’ boots. She looked up the stairs and called out Mr Penfold’s name.

A heavy-set man walked down the stairs with each step creaking under his weight. His T-shirt was covered in worker’s dust and flecks of paint had dried on his jeans. Varicose veins slithered beneath the skin on his cheeks and nose, which were made brighter by the white stubble on his face and the last few tufts of hair on his head.

‘Good morning, Amber.’

‘Hello, Mr Penfold.’

‘What do I owe the pleasure?’

He stopped on the last step and rested his weight on the banister. The wood creaked.

‘I was hoping you would delay the work on your property until a decent hour. My daughter has end-of-term exams coming up and she needs the right amount of sleep. The work has been known to start at six thirty in the morning.’

‘Now, Amber, I’m sure you want the work to be done as much as we do. The earlier we rise, the quicker it will be done.’

‘When do you expect the work to be complete?’

‘End of January, here’s hoping.’

Tiles clanged against the side of the skip outside. She flinched at the sound and clenched her teeth. Pain shot up to her gums. She had to stop grinding her teeth, but she had done it ever since she was a child. If she was stressed, she worked it out with her jaw in her sleep.

‘And you expect us to listen to this racket from dawn till dusk until then? I’m not asking you to stop work, simply to start at a reasonable hour.’