When she arrives in Lawn End, the Nissan is still on the drive. According to Alison’s kitchen calendar, she has the morning off. Good, at least she’s not gone out, as she worried she might. Maddy parks at the end of the road, keeping the front door and driveway in view.

While she’s waiting, she opens Facebook and checks Alison’s page. Checking her page has become automatic. There’s still nothing to indicate that she knows where Max is. She doesn’t expect him to have a Facebook account under his Adam name, but she checks through Alison’s whole list of 573 friends just in case. She must be used to him being away for long periods because about seventy per cent of the time Max was with Maddy.

Alison’s posted a message on a colourful background in shouty text:

HAS ANYONE SEEN ADAM? HE’S NOT BEEN IN TOUCH FOR WEEKS, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE HE’S BEEN COMING IN THE HOUSE WHILE I’M OUT!!! WHAT’S GOING ON???

Maddy scrolls down. Alison has posted photos of his jeans and ironed T-shirt and opened pile of post. There’s another post that she added that Maddy didn’t see before:

A woman offered to take Jamie home from a party this afternoon – said she used to work with Adam and knows where we live. Any ideas who this is? Weird huh? Creepy/not creepy?

She’s added the messages to Instagram too. Although she’s tempted, Maddy doesn’t click ‘like’ in case she draws attention to herself.

Five minutes later, a van hurtles around the corner and pulls up next to the house. Right on time. One man in overalls climbs out and flings open the rear shutter while the driver knocks loudly on the front door. It’s only a few moments before Alison is shouting at them. She stomps outside, arms crossed. The second man has a fridge freezer on his trolley, ready to wheel into the house. Alison shakes her head but the driver points to his paperwork. It will be Alison’s name printed there. She’ll assume Adam has ordered it.

Somehow, Alison persuades the men to take the fridge freezer back. As they close the van doors, a florist drives up behind, blocking them in. A man carefully takes out a large funeral wreath. The driver of the fridge delivery van unwinds his window and says something. Alison opens the front door, shouts and shoves the man so he stumbles backwards. She slams the door shut. He curses out loud and leaves the wreath propped up against the wall. He has specific instructions to leave it there, no matter what, even if the recipient seems hostile. Grief does funny things to people, Maddy told them.