It was quiet. Deathly quiet. As she walked through the ticket office, she saw the station was unmanned – off-peak hours most likely didn’t warrant the expense of a salary – and it unnerved her that there was no one to talk to, no one to help her find her way on this wild goose chase she’d embarked on. Looking around, it was apparent the station was not in the village centre. It seemed to be miles from anything. An empty road passed in front of her, disappearing into trees and more countryside. She got out her ancient, cracked phone to locate herself in the maps app – but there was no signal. What should she do? Walk? Which direction? For a moment, she contemplated going over to the opposite platform and taking the next train back home. Then a ladybird landed on her arm and Kate was buoyed by its arrival. Two tiny blue butterflies skitted across the heads of some cow parsley growing by the perimeter fence. A blue tit watched her from the ticket office windowsill. This place was beautiful.

‘Oh!’ she exclaimed as the ladybird flew off but, as she followed its direction, she saw up ahead a small railway outbuilding with a sign outside that lifted her heart: ‘Taxis’.

As she walked towards it, she saw that it, too, looked ominously quiet. The door was shut tight. Then she heard a toilet flush, a whistling and the hut door flew open.

‘Whoa!’ said a man, clutching his chest. ‘You’ll give me a heart attack.’

Kate wasn’t sure if he was joking or not. He’d said it lightly enough, but he was grey and tired-looking, appearing to be in his fifties but she suspected he was younger.

‘Sorry. No harm intended . . .’

‘None done.’

‘Oh, good.’ She paused, wondering if he was the right person to ask. ‘Can I get a taxi?’

‘Sure thing.’

‘I need to get to Hawthorne Lane.’

This seemed to make him even more tired. ‘Minimum fare five pounds,’ he said pointedly.

Kate smiled. ‘Fine.’ She followed him to his car, a care-worn, middle-of-the-road estate, and got into the back, opening the window to waft away the overpowering smell of the cheap cardboard air freshener. She caught snatches of birdsong as they drove down narrow country roads. It was beguiling, idyllic, but she couldn’t fully enjoy the journey as her mind was on her destination. She’d picked the first address on the list for no other reason than it was the first, but she still had no idea what she was going to do or say when she got there. Nor if she’d be welcome. She half hoped the residents would be out, then she could just enjoy the scenery and head back.

‘What number?’ asked the cab driver.

She needed time to compose herself. ‘Could you just drop me at the end, please?’

He glanced at her in the mirror but said nothing, and two minutes later she was stepping out of the car. She handed a fiver through the window. ‘Thanks.’