‘I’m not sure,’ said Maude. ‘I mean, you just hear someone walking through the house and you think it’s like, someone you live with because you get used to the sounds they make, so you hear it and you don’t hear it at the same time.’

With her eyes closed it was surprisingly difficult to tell where the kid was, her voice, soft and light, didn’t seem to be fixed in any one position. Maybe it was the sloping roof, messing with the acoustics, and maybe she had a point.

Kym opened her eyes. Maude was standing above her, hands on hips, frowning. It was warm up here, despite the open windows. Kym could feel sweat prickling in her scalp and under her shoulder blades. The kid really didn’t look right, she looked – tired, anxious. ‘It was like that,’ she said, ‘it was familiar.’

*

Evie waited until the exam hall was almost empty, packing and repacking her pencil case, before making her way out into the real world again.

She caught a glimpse of Marnie at the lockers, but she was talking enthusiastically to a boy Evie didn’t recognise. Evie grabbed her school bag, switched on her phone and was considering going over and saying hello, making a big deal of asking how the exam had gone, just to see what Marnie might do, when her phone buzzed, and she saw the messages from Kym.

One old message, and one sent just five minutes ago.

You done yet? I’m at EH with Maude. x

Seriously. Things are getting very weird. Come and say hi. xx

‘Is he going to be away for long, then? Chris?’ Gina asked.

‘I hope not. He says not.’

Nell cradled her mug and looked at Gina. ‘It doesn’t feel right, you know, Elder House.’ She shook her head. ‘Does that make sense? I don’t like it.’ It felt good to say it out loud. She thought for a moment. ‘You don’t like it either.’

‘You don’t have to stay, you know,’ said Gina.

‘Only apparently, we do.’ Nell put the mug on the table. ‘We could just pack up and go back, I suppose, surprise Chris – but I think he’d think I was being . . . I think he’d think that meant I didn’t trust him.’

‘And do you?’

‘Of course I do.’ Her tone was flat. ‘Anyway, the problem isn’t us – it’s . . .’ She hesitated. ‘I was reading about – the yard and Dr Bishop. I saw a clip of the ghost walk.’

‘Ah. Darren something or other, I think he was called. He was a nice lad, but I wouldn’t place too much faith in his stories.’