‘Oh, no, Prue, I’m so sorry. Is she …?’

‘No, she’s still alive, but it doesn’t look good. She’s an old cat. Not strong, and she’s been hurt badly. My friend Sian works at the vets’. She rang, thought I’d want to know straightaway. So I’ve grabbed a few essentials and I’m going to catch the first available train. I didn’t really have time to pack properly, so I suppose I’ll have to come back, won’t I? If only to collect my things. Do you think Madi will mind, me leaving stuff here, not tidying up or changing the sheets or anything?’

‘I wouldn’t worry about any of that for now. I can always go in and clean up if you like. Just leave me the key. Oh, no, actually, I think we already have one. For emergencies. Mum is the landlord, after all.’

‘Thanks, Aaron.’ She leant forward, not quite sure whether she should kiss him goodbye, but doing it anyway, briefly, on the cheek. ‘Wish me luck. Wish Flo luck …’

‘Of course.’

He stepped forward, his hands on the banister, and remained standing there, shivering on the landing, as she rushed off down the stairs and turned to give him a limp wave when she reached the bottom. ‘Bye.’

‘Bye.’

The walk to the station, the wait on the platform, the train journey in the dark, all blurred together, until several hours later she found herself back in Norfolk, Sian wrapping an arm around her shoulders and guiding her into a cab.

‘How is she?’

‘It’s early days but she’s doing well. She’s a little fighter, that one, and your dad and Ralph will do everything they possibly can for her. You know that.’

‘How did it happen? You said it was Tom Bishop and Madi in the car. Who was actually driving? Were they speeding?’

‘No, just an accident from what I can gather. It was Tom driving, and he’s really cut up about it. But Flo’s alive, Prue, that’s what matters. So come on, stop fretting. We’ll be home soon enough and you can see for yourself.’

‘Home? Oh, God, I can’t even go home, can I? Madi’s still there, in my house. We had a deal. I can’t suddenly throw her out because I’ve come back early.’

‘I’m sure she’ll understand. Or maybe you could share for a while?’

‘Sian, I don’t even have a spare bed. I got rid of Gran’s rickety old single and put my desk in there, remember?’

‘Sofa? Or farm her out to your mum’s maybe? We’ll work something out. She’ll be okay about it. She’s okay, is Madi. Nice. Caring. She’s been really great looking after Flo, since the abscess.’

‘The what?’

‘Oh, no! I’m sorry. You didn’t know about that, did you? Look, it was nothing serious, just a sore mouth, and we didn’t want to spoil things for you, drag you back over nothing …’

‘Well, it’s not nothing now, is it?’ Prue’s mind was racing. ‘If Flo wasn’t her usual self, if she was feeling poorly, in pain, slow to cross the road … For heaven’s sake, Sian! She’s my cat. My responsibility. How could you not tell me? If you’d have called me sooner, I could have been here, taking care of her, then maybe it wouldn’t have happened. Oh, God, it’s my fault, isn’t it? For going away, leaving her …’