As Beth leads Luna away from the dog groomer’s, she realises that her neck isn’t tight with tension anymore, and she’s not jumping at every noise. It’s been a difficult week, but little by little, she’s starting to feel better. The squatter Mark hasn’t returned, so he must have found somewhere else to stay. And he can’t still be angry with her, not now he’s had time to realise how crazy his accusation was.

And now seeing Luna so smart too. When they first brought Luna home, Beth was nervous that she’d never warm to her, that she would be too distracted by the horrors of what new germs Luna might be bringing into the family home. But her floppy ears and adoring eyes seemed to cast a spell, and after setting some strict hygiene parameters, Beth found she enjoyed having a puppy around, and even appreciated the excuse to wash the floor multiple times a day. But as Luna’s grown older, and the seasons have changed, the balance has shifted. So it’s a relief to see her looking cute again, and with the elegant edge of adolescence this time. Beth crouches down to give her a stroke, and breathes in her new scent. She smells delicious too. Whatever shampoo they use at the salon, she must remember to buy a bottle on her next visit.

As she resumes her walk home, Beth thinks about the groomer. Perhaps it’s not surprising that she was so taken with Luna; she was the absolute stereotype of an animal lover. In fact, when she said her name was Kat, Beth had struggled not to laugh. She was very muscular, but in an outdoorsy way, like she dragged trucks up hills rather than lifted weights at the gym. Her hair was blood-red and spiky, and there was a striking cactus tattoo on her forearm. Her eyes were strange though, a bright tropical blue that didn’t seem in keeping with the rest of her.

As Beth starts up the hill, she considers Kat’s offer. Luna is used to having two walks a day, but ever since Tuesday morning, Beth has been finding excuses not to take her out in the evening. If she can feel scared in winter’s excuse for daylight, how would she feel after dark? Her fears about the squatter attacking her might be receding, but not enough to convince her that night-time walks are safe. Simon takes Luna out when he’s home, but he’s got a work trip to Dublin next week. She wouldn’t normally trust an offer made by a random stranger – she’d do research and choose a professional company with references and insurance – but Kat clearly loves dogs and knows how to handle them. And of course, there’s the added bonus that she’d bring Luna back clean.