‘Sorry, I didn’t catch your name,’ the woman said five minutes later as she totted up Madi’s purchases on an old-fashioned till and piled them up at the end of the counter. ‘Or if our Sian told me, I’m afraid I’ve already forgotten it!’

‘It’s Madi.’

‘Nice to meet you, Madi dear, although I’m sure I’ve seen your face somewhere.’ She tilted her head as if trying to remember something. ‘You’ve not been to Shelling before, have you?’

‘No, never.’ Madi smiled to herself. It was good to know she wasn’t the only one who struggled to remember things sometimes.

‘Oh, well. Never mind. It’ll come to me, I’m sure. Now, I’ll keep this little lot safe until you walk back, don’t you worry. And you know where I am now, so don’t be a stranger. Always nice to have someone new to chat to.’ She smiled, switching to a ridiculous American accent and adding, ‘Have a nice day,’ as Madi went back out into the street, the empty shopping bag still swinging on her arm.

Chapter 6

It’s not her feet I hear on the stairs. Too fast, no high heels, too light a tread. No, there’s definitely someone else there. Coming. Going. Living.

It’s not like her to have someone stay the night, so something’s changed. Has she taken in a lodger? A carer? Perhaps I was wrong about her getting over her illness. Perhaps she’s sicker than I thought. Or maybe it’s a man! I try to imagine her having a love life. A sex life. Finding someone new, at her age, and after all this time. It’s not something I want to think about too deeply. It conjures up images I’d rather not explore.

But if she has … what then? Will she marry? Move away? Leave the flat empty? I have imagined many things, but never that. There is nothing I would like more than for her to leave, but something tells me she’s here for the duration. Or would like to be. The memories tie her down, just as mine do. We are where he wanted us to be. Kept close. Linked. Like a prized stamp collection, or a tea set, all the pieces having to stay together or they will be incomplete, lose their worth, their usefulness, their reason for being.

There’s only really one way out, of course. And only one way to win. And that’s to drive her away, to be the last man standing. Or the last woman, should I say? One down, two to go. It’s either her or me now. I’m not sure if she realises that. If she even knows who I am. But one thing’s for sure. I know who she is, and I’m going nowhere.

Chapter 7

PRUE

There was another letter for Madi in the tray in the hallway and it looked important. Not that you could always tell, but this one had the NHS logo plastered right across the top, and they had used first class post. Prue picked it up and shoved it into her coat pocket for safety.