‘Poppycock! She’s got her claws into Bill all right. She only lets him out of her sight to go to the garage. She’s cut him off from all his old mates. Bill used to go fishing every Sunday with his chum, Red. He did that back when Valerie was alive. Him and Red had been at school together, with Valerie and all. I always liked Red – nice boy. Very fond of Valerie, he was. Shy man, could seem a bit standoffish, but always very polite to me. Not, of course, that I’ve seen him recently.

‘Because, you know why? Has Bill been fishing once since she’s been on the scene? No. She’s put a stop to that. Which means of course I don’t get to have a natter with Red. Which I always enjoyed. He and I think alike on most things.

‘But oh no, we don’t see Red now. She’s jealous of Bill seeing other people, afraid someone will put him right about who he’s actually got himself mixed up with. A gold-digger. She’s only ever been after Bill’s money and all she wants to do is diddle Billy out of his inheritance!’

Fortunately, further pirouettes in this circular argument went prevented by the appearance of Rhona’s daughter. Shannon Shefford was a tall, well-muscled woman in her late forties. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore a no-nonsense T-shirt and jeans.

‘Hi, Jude. Hello, Mum, how’re you doing?’ Instinctively, she bent down to kiss the wrinkled cheek.

‘Mustn’t grumble,’ said Rhona. Then, after a well-judged pause, ‘Though, of course, I do. But I don’t need to tell you that.’

Her daughter’s presence had had an immediate effect on the old woman, mellowing, making her less spiky. Shannon’s love was clearly reciprocated.

She used to work as a legal secretary for a solicitor in Fedborough but had given up when Rhona had to move into Waggoners. She was now a full-time carer for her mother. Whether that put pressure on the family income, Jude didn’t know. Certainly, she never heard the subject mentioned.

Mother and daughter were so used to Jude’s presence in the house that, having acknowledged her, Shannon continued as though there was no third person present. Jude just got on with her palliative care and listened.

‘God,’ said Shannon, ‘there are some bloody stupid people out there.’

‘What, is this the meeting you’ve just come from, love?’