Going to be a bit late. Maybe half an hour?

No problem. Take your time

As she pressed send there was a knock on the door. She didn’t get many visitors, and she didn’t want them. The last ones had been some kind of religious group offering salvation. If it was them again, she’d give them short shrift.

She opened the door. There was a woman standing there, thin, pale and drawn.

She did not look well.

‘Hello?’ Alice said.

‘Alice,’ she replied, and Alice realized who it was. She had never met her, but she had spoken to her, and she recognized her voice.

It was Ned’s mum.

This was bad. Very bad.

‘Hi,’ she said, and turned away to hide her face. ‘I suppose you’d better come in.’

As she walked back into the house her mind was racing. She could have slammed the door, but now Ned’s mum had found her – and how had she found her? – she would be here again and again.

The same as her useless son. Dogged persistence seemed to run in the family.

No, she had to deal with this, whatever that meant.

‘Tea?’ she said, over her shoulder.

‘No,’ Ned’s mum said, her voice cold and broken. ‘I want nothing from you.’

‘OK.’ She opened the door to the living room and waved her inside. ‘I’ll make one for myself. I’ll be back in a sec.’

She went into the kitchen and filled the kettle. While it boiled she tried to think this through.

Ned’s mum – whose name she could not remember – was going to see very soon that she was not Alice. It was unlikely she would figure out what had happened, but that didn’t matter. She’d start asking questions, and pretty soon it would become clear what was going on, and Alice would be in deep shit.

So she had to stop that happening. And there was only one way.

Alice’s mouth dried up in anticipation. A Christmas bonus. Unexpected, and very welcome.

As she left the kitchen she sent Mandy a message.

Change of plans. I’m going shopping alone. Get your special present! See you at 5 at the pub?

She set her phone down on the counter, and went to deal with Ned’s mum.

She closed the door behind her, keeping her face hidden, then went to stand in front of the window so she was silhouetted against the light.

‘Been a while,’ she said. ‘How did you find me?’

‘With difficulty,’ Ned’s mum said. ‘But then I have little else to do.’

‘Did Ned ever show up?’

‘You know he didn’t. You know what happened to him.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘You sound different,’ Ned’s mum said.

‘I’ve got a cold. Can’t seem to shake it.’