They were at the top of the hill now and soon passing Haylesbury Enclave where the new houses were complete and occupied but not visible from the road. Much as their own wasn’t visible either. Marcy could feel her right fingernails digging into her ravaged hand and made herself stop. It was going to be all right. They’d caught the person who’d committed the crime, he wasn’t going to be hiding among the trees or behind bushes waiting for her to return, he was locked away and hopefully he would never come out again.

She knew Jasmine was waiting for them to arrive, had probably been preparing the place for hours, and as they turned into the drive she saw the banner straightaway. Welcome Home, Nana. It was strung across the front of the tower, as colorful and cheering as Jasmine could make it.

Marcy felt strangely betrayed as she realized the house looked the same as it always had, as if a fire had never been near it.

If only her own damage had been so easy to repair.

Don’t think like that.

Starting again she saw the house as it really was, friendly, hospitable, proud to be a home, although it was different because the front door was painted a deep burgundy red and it had been black before. There was a pair of bay trees on either side of it, and a new transom window above with rainbow colors in the glass.

She gazed around the garden, still a tangled mess of shrubs and brambles, but there were flowers now springing up through the weeds: bird’s-foot trefoil, wood anemones, buttercups, corn cockle, columbine, thrift. There were hydrangeas and roses, snapdragons and sunflowers, evidence that someone had once planted the beds and probably nurtured them. And with so much valerian and verbena they should have plenty of butterflies and bees over the rest of the summer.

She was feeling nervous again and slightly nauseous. She didn’t want to see anyone, would have liked simply to go to her room and close the door, but when Jasmine had asked if she could invite a few of their friends to welcome her home she’d agreed. It had to be gone through, and there was nothing to be gained from putting it off.