She turned as her host entered the room, commenting, ‘This is quite a collection.’

‘Thanks.’ Julia wafted past her towards the open kitchen area, dancing between the various obstacles as if she could do it in her sleep. ‘I was just making coffee. Would you like one?’

Out of habit, Hawkins was about to decline, but the buzzing haze of stress and fatigue flared before she could compose a polite refusal. ‘Please. White, with one.’

‘No worries.’ Julia started opening cupboards as Hawkins turned back to the main area, wondering how she’d gone so quickly from suspicious stranger to indulged guest.

She scanned the room, noting the complete lack of human subject matter amongst the clutter. Either this woman’s interest in people stood in diametric opposition to her fascination for collectables, or she was compensating for some kind of bygone indignity. Hawkins’ mind flicked to the short-lived relationship between Julia and Mark, wondering if those themes played a part in its demise.

‘Here you go.’

Hawkins turned to find Julia standing behind her, holding two patterned mugs.

She took one with an appreciative nod, undoing her coat with the other hand, suddenly aware of the room’s warmth. The atmosphere was heavy and close, bordering on tropical, despite the time of year.

Julia stepped around her and moved a tiny, ornate chest from coffee table to floor, creating space for Hawkins to deposit her cup. She motioned at the small sofa. ‘Seat?’

‘Sure.’ Hawkins shuffled into the gap and perched, wary of disturbing the scrawny tabby cat she hadn’t seen until now, sleeping on a psychedelically patterned throw at the far end.

Julia rearranged some painted rocks on the table and set her cup down, before twirling to sit in the single armchair opposite, a translucent turquoise wrap billowing from her shoulders as she moved.

‘So you’ve come about some kind of symbol?’ she asked, eyeing the phone in her visitor’s hand.

‘Yes.’ Hawkins woke the screen and passed her the device. ‘Mark thought you might know what it means.’

Julia studied the picture for a moment before looking up. ‘Looks alchemical.’

‘Alchemy … you mean turning base metals into gold?’

Julia smiled. ‘That’s what most people think, but it’s way more than that.’ Her gaze drifted up towards the ceiling. ‘It’s a philosophical system, really, based on enlightenment and the rise of human understanding.’

‘OK,’ Hawkins said evenly, wary of losing focus. ‘What about this particular symbol?’

Julia looked back at the photograph. ‘Hold on.’ She got up, placed Hawkins’ phone on the table and left the room.