On his way back to the office, Pearly passed some recent roadworks and saw three boys kicking the orange traffic cones from their warning sites along the street. He stopped, put the car window down and shouted at them to leave the cones alone. The teenagers just laughed and swore at him — until he got out, revealing his size, and moved towards them, and then they loped off, each bearing a stolen witch’s hat.

‘Fuck you, Granddad. Fuck you,’ they called, but Pearly didn’t reply, or attempt to follow them. He replaced the remaining cones and stood for a while to ensure the youngsters didn’t return. He glanced at the properties close at hand, but there was no sign of anybody. Maybe he’d been observed, however: a housewife standing behind net curtains to witness the mayor making personal intervention to maintain road safety and protect council property. It was a pleasant, passing thought, and Pearly imagined such a gaze upon him as he rebuttoned his jacket and returned to his car.

Anne hadn’t taken the afternoon off. She had done a supermarket shop, which would leave her evening free, and returned to the office. Pearly gave her his impressions of 110 Montgomery Avenue, and they discussed a sales plan. He made no mention of having seen Deidre Utterspan slipping into the neighbouring house. Then they talked about the Pegasus Building and who in the town might be interested now that the asking price was more realistic. There could be possibilities further afield also, Anne reminded him. Asian investors liked commercial properties and were increasingly willing to look beyond the main cities. ‘Let’s make a big push on this one,’ Pearly said. ‘If we don’t close a sale quite quickly, I’ve got a feeling the brothers might open it up to other agents.’

‘I’ll get some new shots done for the website,’ Anne said.

‘It’s got sound bones, that building. Do you remember their old man?’

‘No.’

‘They said he had a good war. He dressed well and was a pretty shrewd businessman. He drove this Sunbeam Talbot. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another one.’

‘Well before I came here, I guess,’ said Anne. Pearly tended to assume that, like him, other people had been born and raised in the district.