‘She only does that with men, by the way,’ Tara pointed out. ‘She’s just as flirty with my dad, so don’t feel special.’ She’d told him about Dad, and Molly, in the end; he’d texted her to check she hadn’t gone home because she was ill, so it seemed only fair to explain. He hadn’t offered any advice, but he’d listened. David’s thoughtful listening made Tara feel better than most people’s advice did.

‘She seems in good form,’ he observed. ‘No repeat of her unfortunate vomiting incident?’

‘None whatsoever. But then again, I have no idea what the people two doors down are feeding her.’ She glanced over to see if he’d registered the reference to his list of three things.

‘You never asked them about it?’

‘I wasn’t sure how to phrase it, to be honest. “My friend’s been chatting to my cat, and apparently you’ve been feeding her?” You can get a reputation for that sort of thing, you know.’

‘And the item with the flashing light keeping her awake?’

‘I leave my phone downstairs. It was a phone, by the way. Nothing more sinister.’

They both knew what was coming next.

‘And the builders?’

The question hung in the air.

‘There were no builders.’

‘Sorry to hear that.’ David scratched Sybil’s ears. She closed her eyes and pushed her head into his hand, fully in love.

And Phil. Ask him about Phil. It was an open goal, the topic already broached. Tara juggled the words in her head: what could she ask that wouldn’t make her sound desperate? ‘Is my ex thinking about me?’ ‘Does my ex miss me?’ ‘Does Sybil miss Phil?’

Tara tried to sound casual. ‘Sybil’s here because I took her to get microchipped today. Turns out Phil never bothered chipping her. My ex, Phil,’ she added, in case he’d forgotten.

If it sounded clumsy, David didn’t show it. ‘Sorry to hear he’s now an ex.’

‘I was wondering if Sybil knew … I mean, if Sybil could …’ Tara frowned. The words wouldn’t come out of her mouth.

David’s attention was fixed on the cat; Sybil was patting his face tenderly with her paw and making funny chirrupy noises that Tara had never heard before. In fact, Tara had never seen Sybil interacting so positively with a human being. There was clearly something about David that Sybil could see. Something patient. Something understanding.

Am I going insane? Tara wondered. Or is he talking to my cat?