All that being said, I hope that you can accept my explanation. Today has been quite the day for me – as I am sure it has also been for you – so maybe let’s chalk this down to the fact that technology sometimes has a mind of its own. And you can rest assured that nothing nefarious was going on in P-2 today and you won’t hear a peep from me going forward.

P-2

PS I’m now off on the hunt for swinging spiders and dancing daddy-long-legs or whatnot.

Hannah folded up the note and headed to the door, opening it as quietly as she could, then tip-toed into the hallway and slipped the piece of paper under Ed’s door, determined to keep good on her promise about being silent.

It wasn’t until she was back inside Courtney’s with the door firmly shut behind her that she allowed herself to exhale.

What a day …

Chapter 22

Hannah awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and renewed after a good night’s sleep. Her thoughts drifted to yesterday and she threw her legs over the side of the bed, determined to make this day a better one.

Padding barefoot into the kitchen, she flipped on Courtney’s thankfully-electric designer kettle (she hated those stovetop whistling ones), reached into a cabinet for a mug, took out the treasured box of Barry’s teabags she always kept in stock and waited patiently for the water to boil.

Then out of the corner of her eye, she spied a piece of paper beneath the door and raised an eyebrow.

‘Must be a night owl …’ she muttered as she picked up the note, crossing her fingers that next door had accepted her explanation and things were back on more cordial ground. The electric kettle flicked off, indicating the water was ready.

But first, tea.

Sitting at the kitchen island with a steaming cuppa in front of her, Hannah unfolded the note and smoothed the paper on the makeshift countertop surface.

Motion-activated sound system? Is it really so hard to just flip a goddamn switch? Is your generation seriously that busy and important, or lazy, that using even a remote control is too much trouble these days? What type of idiot wants to have TVs and stuff blaring when they walk into a room? When did silence become something everyone tries to avoid? Who knew we would be living in such a stupid time in history.

All right, I accept your apology. Not cutting off my nose to spite my face here – I wouldn’t want to stop the Rice Krispie train.