‘You know the rules.’

‘God, Nell.’ Maude rolled her eyes. ‘I won’t be unsupervised, will I? You’ll be right next to me.’

Nell could still hear the tour guide, the way he lowered his voice, the way he spoke about the doctor and his poor lost child as if he knew them. ‘Fine,’ she said, ‘OK.’

They were already logged into Facebook on the laptop, which was just as well, as Nell had no clue what their password might be. She suspected that Maude knew it, which she wasn’t entirely happy about, but today was not the day to bring that up. It took a few minutes, but she had found Carolyn easily enough.

‘She might not respond,’ Nell said. She clicked on the mouse pad, sending the friend request before she could change her mind. ‘There.’

‘I could google her, if you like,’ said Maude.

‘No. I think me stalking our neighbours is quite bad enough.’

Maude looked down at her hands, trying not to smile. ‘I was thinking, I might buy Imogen something from Gina’s shop, like, a souvenir?’

‘I thought you didn’t have any pocket money?’

‘Mum gave me some.’

Maude hadn’t bothered to mention this before, although Nell supposed Jess might have said something to Chris.

‘I’m not sure I want to go out again.’

‘You don’t have to come.’

Nell hesitated.

Maude sat up straight, smoothing down her T-shirt. ‘It’s just up the street, Nell.’

She was about to answer when the laptop on the table pinged gently.

Carolyn had accepted her request.

*

There was a tap at the door, then it opened. ‘You girls all right up here?’ Kate asked.

Kym closed her book and started gathering up the papers they had spread across the bed. ‘Fine.’

‘Only I was thinking about starting tea. You’re welcome to stay if you like, Evie.’

‘Oh, thanks. I’d love to, but I should probably get back home, we’ve got guests this evening.’

‘Right you are.’ Kate leant against the doorframe, surveying the mess. ‘Don’t work too hard.’

‘We won’t,’ said Kym.

Kate made a show of closing the door quietly.

‘It’s horrible,’ said Evie, ‘what happened to your dad. I’m so sorry.’ She gathered up some of the scattered papers, neatening them, then placing them carefully on the desk. Kym’s pencil case had slumped open, spilling out a collection of biros and markers. More out of habit than anything else, Evie began to tidy them away. Something prickled at the back of her throat. She wanted it all to be a coincidence, the knocking, the house, the way she had felt in the drying ground; bad luck and nothing more than that.

‘But you’ll help?’ Kym asked. ‘If I can find out – something, anything about the house?’

‘Sure,’ said Evie. ‘If you want me to.’

Kym seemed to be waiting for more, ‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘Yes. Please.’

*