Tim produced a large bunch of yellow tulips from behind his back. ‘For you.’

‘Thank you.’ She kissed him long and hard and pulled him inside. She liked holding his hand. He was stocky, solid in a comforting way, and despite still being in his thirties had thick, short silver hair and a shadow of grey stubble covering his extra quarter of a chin. It was starting to rain and she shut the door on the encroaching dark and noticed the bag over his shoulder.

‘Did you bring your toothbrush?’

‘Not just that.’ He pulled out a roll of fabric and let it unravel. Flannel plaid in a dark green.

‘Flipping heck! Tell me you don’t wear those.’

‘You know I don’t. Pyjamas are my mother’s idea of a Christmas present. And . . . seeing as I’m spending my first night here, I want to be suitably attired should I get up in the night. Don’t want to be embarrassing anyone on the landing. Actually, the only person I’d probably embarrass is myself.’ He looked around. ‘Is Becky here yet?’

‘No. Probably still on the train. But she’s dying to meet you.’

‘Likewise. Need a hand?’

‘Yes please.’

He followed her into the kitchen and she threw him an apron. ‘Can you whisk?’

He looked at the egg whites in the bowl and the chocolate. ‘What’s this?’

‘Mousse. Or it will be.’

His bright-blue eyes lit up. ‘How did you know?’

‘You like it? It’s Becky’s favourite, too.’

‘Can I just stick my head in the bowl?’

Kate laughed. ‘There’s this fallacy that women are mad about chocolate, but in my limited experience, it’s the men who are the addicts. I have friends who have to hide it from their husbands.’

‘That is so cruel.’

‘Ten pee bet right now that you always keep a stash in your cab.’

Tim laughed. ‘I need something to soothe a day’s endless ding-ding-dinging of the bell. Someone today went mental. Just because the stop was closed. Like it’s my fault! And the announcement was on.’ He imitated the automatic-voice system. ‘This bus is going on diversion . . .’

A movement outside made Kate look up. Two police constables, a man and a woman, were heading down the path. She groaned. ‘That is such bad timing. They’re here to ask about Iris’s fence. Across the road,’ she explained. ‘It’s been vandalized. I’ll just be a sec.’

She went to the front door and opened it as they arrived.

‘Are you Miss Kate Ellis?’ said the policeman. The policewoman stood next to him.

‘Yes.’

‘Can we come in?’

‘OK, but I’ve only got a couple of minutes.’ She gestured back towards the kitchen. ‘I’m in the middle of cooking.’ She smiled. ‘Got a special thing tonight.’

They came in and stood in the hall. ‘Is there somewhere we can talk?’

Kate hesitated. She’d rather just get it over with quickly, so she could get on, but didn’t want to seem rude. ‘Sure,’ she said, leading them down the hall. ‘Come into the living room.’