After the conversation with his partner, Pearly made phone calls in connection with the Pegasus Building and also to confirm an appointment time with an elderly widow with whom he had arranged to view a townhouse by the racecourse. Its chief drawback was the lack of a garage, but he doubted she would be able to drive much longer. Pearly took a short spell then, looking out over the roofs towards the crests of the brown hills not far from the family farm. His hand strayed to the packet of Jaffas in his desk drawer, and he thought of his brother on the property, wondered what he’d be up to. It wasn’t so much that Pearly wished to be a farmer, just that the place was always with him, and lit with the special glow that is the backdrop to unclouded boyhood.

Kylie put a call through from Charlotte Miller. She was okay in Clifford’s place but wanted to talk about the purchase of a home of her own. She and her ex-husband had sorted things, and now that the financial situation was clear she wished to get on with her life. ‘I’ve decided not to move away,’ she said. ‘Partly because of Michael being halfway through secondary school, but for myself too. I know people here and I like my job. I wondered if you had any places you thought I should have a look at.’ Pearly needed her to say what she could afford, and got to that as tactfully as he could. As he’d assumed, Charlotte wasn’t going to end up with any mansion.

‘I’ll see what I’ve got that might be worth considering,’ Pearly told her, ‘but I don’t want you to feel obliged to me just because I arranged the present place. Have a look at the property pages in the community papers and handouts and get an idea of things. Go online too.’

‘Oh, I’ve been looking all right.’

‘I’m committed here and at council tomorrow, but on Thursday morning I could come and take you to see several places. Just a street view, but you could get an idea of any that take your fancy.’

‘Okay. That suits me,’ said Charlotte, and they made a time.

Pearly had agreed to attend the opening of the local repertory theatre’s costume annex that evening. It was in his diary, but he received a call from the council office as a reminder — a safeguard that he’d instigated. In turn he rang Helen to see if she’d decided to accompany him. ‘Alison’s here,’ she said. ‘We’re going over nursing stuff. Do you mind if I don’t come?’