‘Damn,’ said Nell softly, turning away from Maude. ‘Chris, can you fetch some milk back with you, and some Diet Coke for Maude and – I don’t know – some salt, vinegar—’

‘Chocolate,’ said Maude, ‘and ice cream.’

‘Did you hear that? Chocolate and ice cream too, please.’ Nell ended the call. She should have thought to check about the mobile signal, they used to have the same problem at her dad’s house.

‘Can I have it back now?’ Maude was staring at her, hand extended.

Nell glanced down at the phone. There was nothing on there that shouldn’t have been, no icons for email or the internet. All that had been carefully removed by Chris. Maude’s phone was being used for calls and texts only; she barely even used it as a camera these days.

‘Sure.’ She handed it back. ‘Thanks.’

One of them should check her messages, of course, but maybe she’d get Chris to do that later. They should unlock the kitchen door too, she thought, as they went back inside, another job to go on the list.

*

Chris returned to the house with fish and chips for three, a family-sized bottle of Diet Coke and a pocketful of Kit-Kats. No ice cream, no milk, though.

‘Sorry,’ he said as he helped Nell plate up the food. ‘I didn’t see you’d called.’

‘We’ll live,’ said Nell, ‘as long as there’s something sweet for madam.’

‘Well, I do know my girl.’

‘Who were you talking to?’ – Maude was hovering behind them – ‘when Nell rang?’

‘What?’ Chris concentrated on transferring a piece of fish to a plate.

‘She couldn’t get through. So who were you talking to?’

‘No one,’ said Chris. ‘Work. Sam. I just wanted to—’ Above them the lights flickered and died.

‘Not again,’ said Nell.

‘I told you it wasn’t me,’ said Maude.

‘I never said it was.’ Nell opened the cupboard. ‘It’s an old house, and underneath all the improvements, the electrics are still a bit . . .’ She flipped the switch back up. ‘Dodgy.’

‘That’s a technical term, is it?’ said Chris.

‘Funny,’ said Nell.

‘Yeah. Funny,’ said Maude, picking up her plate and taking it to the table.

*

Maude didn’t really mind washing-up when she got to do it with her dad, although she always made a point of complaining, just so they both knew she was doing them a favour. Sometimes it was the only part of the day they got to spend together, just the two of them.

He hadn’t thought to buy washing-up liquid, but luckily there was a bottle hidden away in the cupboard under the sink. There was a supply of bin liners and a dustpan and brush, and other cleaning things too. She supposed the owners wanted their house left nice and tidy.