Then she heard it again. A noise on the other side of the patio window. She looked at the closed curtains and went cold. Tinder was awake now too, on guard, hackles up, staring at the curtains and growling. ‘What is it?’ she asked quietly, her voice unsteady.

Was it back again after two nights? Had it got into the garden? Or was there something else out there? It could be anything, she told herself – a hedgehog, rats, mice. The sensor light was switched off. If she went upstairs and turned it on, whatever was outside would very likely be gone by the time she returned to the living room.

Setting aside her laptop, Jan slowly knelt on the sofa so she was facing the curtain. Tinder, still growling, was watching her. She carefully took hold of the edge of the curtain and then quickly pulled it open. A pair of eyes looked back. She screamed and dropped the curtain. Tinder threw himself at the window as if to attack, but it had gone. He ran to the back door, barking frantically to be let out. But unlike other evenings, Jan wouldn’t be letting him out to give chase. It wasn’t safe.

Her hand shook as she grabbed her phone to call Chris.

‘Thank goodness you’re there,’ she gasped as soon as he answered. ‘There was someone in the back garden. They came right up to the window and looked in.’

‘Are you sure?’ Chris asked.

‘Yes! Can’t you hear Tinder barking? He wants to give chase.’

‘I’ll come straight over. Lock the doors and don’t let Tinder out.’

‘Shall I call the police?’ Jan asked.

‘No, wait until I get there and we’ll decide then. I’m on my way.’

Trembling, Jan went to the back door and checked it was locked. Then, taking her phone with her, she went down the hall to wait by the front door. It seemed safer to be at the front of the cottage and away from the back garden and living-room window. Tinder, finding himself alone, stopped barking and ran to her side.

What had she seen? She didn’t know. She’d only seen a pair of eyes and a shadow before it had fled. Too small for an adult. A child? Surely not. Yet the eyes had shown human expression. Intrigue. If only the sensor light had been on.

With her heart still racing and trying to make sense of what she’d seen, Jan leant against the front door for support as she waited, willing Chris to hurry. Although Tinder had stopped barking, he remained agitated. Every so often he gave a low growl while looking down the hall towards the back of the cottage. Had he heard it return? Or perhaps it hadn’t left the garden at all? Jan shuddered. Was there just the one or were there others? She’d only seen one pair of eyes.