She whipped round, her heart pounding. She was sure she’d just heard her name … No, no, she was just being silly. Maybe it was the wind, or someone in the distance shouting … but it had sounded so much like her name and it had sounded just like Bree’s voice … No, God what was she doing? She had to stop this. She was tired, that was all. She wasn’t going to start letting her imagination play tricks on her. But … No, no, she was only going to think happy thoughts. Mia. Yes, she would think about Mia and what they would do together when all this was over.

Taking a deep breath, she got out of her car, and ignoring the fact that she’d begun to tremble, ignoring the fact that a cold chill of fear ran through her body, she walked towards the flat in Ruston Road, pausing a moment at the communal door before letting herself into the entrance hall.

At Bree’s front door, her hands shook as she fitted the key in the lock. She paused again, forcing herself to breathe out. To be calm. To think of Mia. That’s what she needed to focus on. Nothing else.

Then pushing the door open, Franny stepped inside.

Taking a sharp intake of breath as the darkness encased her, Franny quickly switched on the light, pushing herself against the wall as she closed the door, somehow trying to distance herself from the scene in front of her. The eerie silence surrounding her.

Bree’s body was lying exactly where she had left it, but even in this short space of time, it had already started decomposing. Her skin had changed from porcelain white to a blotchy purple and red, her face no long slender, rather puffy and bloated, and Franny could clearly see that rigor mortis was setting in.

Not looking at Bree as she walked past her, Franny, still trembling, and swallowing down her wave of nausea, went up the stairs, getting the large suitcase out of the bedroom cupboard.

She began to collect all of Mia’s and Bree’s belongings, not wanting to leave any trace of them being there, and methodically but as quickly as she could, she went into all the cupboards and drawers, fridge and wardrobes, taking everything there was, leaving no evidence that Bree had been there at all.

Half an hour later and satisfied that everything was collected, Franny pulled on a pair of gloves and set about wiping everything down, and by the time she’d finished not only had it gone dark outside, but she’d also missed a call from Alfie.

After taking the suitcase and putting it in her car, which was parked directly in front of the flats, Franny hurried back, grabbing the roll of gaffer tape and thick plastic sheeting she’d picked up from a DIY shop on the way over.