To their credit, the two young ladies appeared to be totally occupied with their own shoe leather, but Peggy was in no doubt that they had heard every word. Meanwhile the receptionist’s eyes never left Peggy, not even for a moment, as if she expected Peggy to lean over the counter and steal the discarded handkerchief. She picked up a large black telephone receiver and dialled a number. ‘A Mrs Nolan to see you in reception, Mr Heartfelt,’ she said. ‘It’s about her rent arrears.’

Peggy felt as though she was standing on a precipice and she knew she had to move away from the edge, because one breath away was darkness and a fear that made her heart race. The thoughts, you are alone, there is only you, ran through her mind and, taking a deep breath and holding onto the oak counter by her fingertips to steady herself, she managed to look upwards and fix her gaze on the large wall clock, and holding on, the ache in her belly throbbed.

Mr Heartfelt took twenty minutes to arrive and although there were two chairs in the reception area, Peggy was not invited to sit. Frank the Skank, though, was offered not only a chair but also a cup of tea. Once Frank had settled himself down, the only sound in the office was the clatter of his cup on the saucer, the angry clashing of the typewriter keys and the ting of the bell when the carriage reached the end before it was returned to the beginning again.

Mr Heartfelt arrived and looked around the reception area; his eyes alighted on Frank the Skank. ‘I’ll be half an hour, don’t go,’ he said to him.

Frank removed his helmet and said, ‘That’s fine by me. I’m being well looked after here.’

It occurred to Peggy, even in the midst of her panic, that there was something unusual about the familiarity between Mr Heartfelt and the police sergeant, who was acting as though he owned the reception area, and winking at the two young ladies who had discreetly shuffled as far into the corner as they could.

‘Are you ladies for the secretary’s job?’ asked Mr Heartfelt and both women nodded. ‘Good, I won’t be long with this.’

Peggy looked down at her slippers; water had soaked into the toes and the fronts were now a different colour to the backs. She remembered Maura’s parting words to her, ‘Peggy, I won’t be here, but you have to act as though I am. If you get into a difficult situation, you have to ask yourself, “What would Maura say?” and if that doesn’t work, promise me you will go to the convent and speak to Sister, or the priest.’