The morning was looking bright and clear as she opened the front door and stood, breathing in lungsful of country air, on the step. It was time to walk around the village and see what it had to offer, and to locate the shop the girl at the vets’ had mentioned yesterday so she could stock up on food, perhaps buy a newspaper or a magazine, and a bottle of wine or something a tad stronger to ward off the cold until she figured out how to light that damned fire.

‘Good morning.’ The voice, coming from behind her, took her by surprise.

‘Oh, hello.’ Madi turned to see a short and dumpy woman, her tightly permed hair framing a round suntanned face, standing and looking at her from the pavement. ‘It’s looking like we’re in for a nice day.’

‘Nothing like a bit of spring sunshine after a long cold winter. I’m Faith Harris, by the way. Prue’s mum.’ The woman lifted the gate and pushed it open, a lot more expertly than Madi herself had done the day before and, without waiting for an invitation, ambled up the path towards her. ‘Prue did say someone would be staying here for a while, but she left in such a hurry, I’m afraid I didn’t get the chance to find out anything more. Not even your name …?’

‘It’s Madalyn, but call me Madi. Everyone does.’

Faith held out a hand and Madi took it. ‘Nice to meet you, Madi.’ She stood silently for a moment, her arms folded over her bosom. ‘This was my mother’s cottage, you know. I grew up here, lived here all my life until I got married. Then Mum left it to Prue in her will. Well, I didn’t need it, and I think she wanted to give Prue her first step on the ladder, a taste of independence, you know? Always close, those two.’

‘Ah. The elderly lady on the wall in the lounge? I thought as much.’

‘You’ve been looking at the photos then? All our Prue’s doing. She’s quite a talented photographer, isn’t she? But, yes, that’s her gran over the fireplace. Verity Bligh. One of a kind. She passed on last year. Eighty-three. Not a bad age, I suppose, but I would have liked to have her around for longer. I still miss her.’ She sighed deeply. ‘I don’t know what she would have made of all this business …’

‘Business?’

‘Well, Prue running off like that, I mean. Hardly a word to any of us. No forwarding address, and she’s not answering her phone. Taken time off from her job, and everything. It’s really not like her at all. I’m quite worried about her, to tell you the truth, and so is Joe, of course. I don’t suppose you know where she is?’

Joe? Madi had no idea who Joe might be and didn’t think it her place to ask. She bit her tongue. If this Prue didn’t want to be found, it wasn’t for her to give the game away. ‘Sorry. No.’