Nell opened the welcome pack, fishing out the coffee. ‘Can you find us some mugs, please?’

‘I don’t want coffee.’

‘And you don’t have to have it.’

‘I want a cold drink.’

Nell took a deep breath. Maude was tired, she reminded herself; they all were. ‘Coke?’

‘Diet. Please.’

‘I’d better ring your dad, then,’ said Nell. ‘Have you seen my phone?’

‘Dunno. In your bag?’

‘Have you seen my bag?’ Nell looked around the kitchen. She must have left it in the living room.

*

It was almost fully dark now, but even with everything switched on, including the lamp in the window, the front room too remained on the gloomy side. She retrieved her phone, but as she swiped the screen she noticed the battery was low.

‘Shit.’

She rummaged in her bag. No charger. It was, she suspected, still in the car, the car now at the other end of the street in the residents’ car park.

Still holding her phone she went back into the kitchen. ‘Maude, can I borrow—’ Maude was standing completely still, looking up at the ceiling. ‘Maudie?’

‘The lights went out,’ said Maude. ‘Here.’ She pointed to the spotlights over the dining table.

‘Right.’

‘It wasn’t me.’

‘I switched on the lights in the other room. Maybe we’ve tripped a fuse.’

The fuse box was in a corner cupboard above the work-top. ‘See?’ One switch was down and the others were all in place. Nell flicked it back up and the lights blinked on again. ‘Sorted.’

She closed the cupboard door and the room seemed to dim again. The spotlights above the counter blinked out. Nell swore softly, and opened the cupboard again. The next fuse in the row had tripped. ‘Fine.’ Nell pushed it back into place and they stood waiting, the two of them, just in case it happened again.

‘OK.’ Nell closed the door gently, as if that would somehow make a difference. ‘Can I use your phone?’

‘What for?’ Maude’s tone was defensive.

‘To ring your dad?’

‘What for?’

‘To get him to pick up some more milk, and some Diet Coke, for you. Come on, Maude, please, there’s no need to be so . . . Mine is pretty much dead. Please.’

After a long pause Maude pulled the phone out of her jeans pocket and handed it over. ‘Here,’ she said.

The phone was locked, but Nell knew the password.

Maude watched her closely as she tapped at the screen, hitting the icon to call Chris – but nothing happened. Nell frowned. ‘There’s not much of a signal,’ she said turning to look out of the window at the bankside. ‘We’re too close, I suppose.’ She tried the kitchen door, but it was locked. She went into the hall and opened the front door, stepping out into the chilly evening air with Maude following close behind. The call connected at last, but went through to voicemail almost immediately.