Paddy swallowed hard, now beyond speech. She turned her head towards Annie O’Prey, still peering around the nets in her window, and refocused her gaze. One of Annie’s boys, Jimmy, was due out of Walton Jail any day now and Paddy guessed she might know that because she smiled a cold and meaningful smile in Annie’s direction. The net curtain fell abruptly and Margaret Wright turned back to little Paddy, who was deeply regretting his decision to talk to her.

For a brief moment, Paddy lost his focus and suddenly he could see Kitty; she was standing at the end of the street, watching him. He froze and stared until his eyes stung and blurred and then, despite not wanting to, he blinked and she was gone.

‘Have you got my meaning, boy?’

Seeing Kitty’s ghost was far preferable to this encounter any day. His instinct was to run, but his feet felt as heavy as lead and refused to move.

‘They didn’t make my Frank a sergeant for nothing, you know. You had better let your mam know that.’ She leant in closer towards him, narrowing her eyes, and he felt a strong desire to clutch hold of his langer before he wet himself. He had been doing so well, but this woman, she had the power to undo all Maura’s good work. He could see the curls of dark hair escaping from under the rim of her bottle-green felt hat. The women on the four streets didn’t wear hats, they wore wire curlers held in place all day long with a headscarf and they only ever came out for the bingo, mass, or a bit of a do down at the Anchor or, in his mam’s case, on rent day. His eyes narrowed back at her – it was the best he could do.

‘You tell your mam that we are moving in next door in the next few days if Mr Heartfelt gets his act together. We are just waiting for the rent book to be handed over.’ She pulled herself upright. ‘Do you know why they are still paying the rent? It’s very odd. I know they had a windfall, but if they aren’t coming back, why would they be doing that? Is there someone else living in there who shouldn’t be?’

Paddy blinked. He was truly confused and had no idea what the woman was talking about.