‘Well. I’m not sure if it’s even silly of me to call, but …’

Niall coughs. ‘Oh aye?’ He needs to fix the stopped clock. His house is disintegrating.

‘Well, I’ve just been looking out of my window and … Oh, I really don’t know how to put this, Niall.’ Another pause.

He clears his throat again, trying to get rid of the croak in his voice. ‘What needs done? Is it that fence that’s—’

‘Oh no! Oh gosh, no, nothing … nothing needs to be done.’ He hears her take a deep breath. ‘I can see someone out of the window, Niall …’ She lowers her voice further. ‘She’s been standing there a while now.’

‘Where? I mean, who?’

‘The orchard. You know, our kitchen looks out on to the orchard? And I had just sat down to read the paper and …’

‘Wait, is this Lauren you’re talking about? She’s out with Billy. I mean … I thought I heard her back in the house, but she isna …’

Angela draws in her breath and it comes out a whisper. ‘Lauren? Oh gosh, no. No, I haven’t seen Lauren. This …’ Angela’s always been one for dramatics. Every month she travels to Inverness for her theatre club.

‘Oh,’ Niall replies. ‘But you’re saying someone’s in your garden. Right now?’

Another silence. ‘It’s somebody … She’s just standing there. I don’t know, she looks like …’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘She’s got her back to me.’

There is silence and Niall thinks something is wrong with the phone. Angela whispers again. ‘I just tried tapping on the window and … she turned. And it … it really looks like her, Niall.’

‘Like who? Like Lauren?’

‘No! No …’ Her voice is barely audible. ‘She’s just standing there. Like she’s watching us.’

Niall struggles to form words. ‘What you on about? You daft?’

Her voice is louder. ‘Hang on. She’s turning around now and walking away.’

‘If this is a joke, it’s not very funny.’

‘I’m not joking, Niall. Why would I joke with you about this? She’s just heading to the apple trees at the edge of the copse.’ Angela’s voice sounds urgently.

‘Angela.’ It doesn’t sound like a joke.

‘I’m so sorry, I don’t mean to distress you, Niall, I just … I can barely see her any more, she’s walked into the trees.’

There is a long pause. Niall pictures his wife disappearing into the woods and it makes him feel sick. He begins to wonder if Angela is still on the other end of the line when she speaks again. Her voice is different.

‘Sorry, Niall?’

‘Of course it fucking isn’t her.’ You daft cow.