‘Don’t be like that.’

Kym sat down on one of the swings, and pushed back, her feet braced on the gravel. ‘What’s this favour, then?’

‘Just you and me, you know?’

‘I don’t think so.’

Tyler looked at Evie, tilting his head to one side, appraising her. ‘What’s going on here, then?’

‘Nothing.’ Evie’s mouth was dry.

‘Oh,’ said Tyler as he looked at Kym and then back at Evie, as if a new idea was occurring to him. ‘Oh, this explains a lot.’

Evie couldn’t bear it, the knowing smile, the patronising tone, her heart began to race.

‘Piss off, Tyler.’ Kym raised herself up onto her toes as if about to take flight.

‘Does your mum know? Does your gran—’

‘Ty? Have you got something to say, or what?’ Bouncing gently now, testing her weight.

Tyler hesitated. ‘I saw him again, Pete Chappell.’

‘Oh. Right.’ Kym lowered the swing and looked up at him thoughtfully. ‘When?’

‘Yeah,’ Tyler went on, ‘I thought you’d like that.’ He turned his attention to Evie. ‘Has she told you about him? This bloke who was working on your old house? I mean, he’s full of shit and loves the sound of his own voice, but she—’

‘When, Ty?’

‘The other day – when you—’

‘He was there? He was actually bloody there, and you didn’t tell me?’

Ty spread his hands. ‘I’m telling you now,’ he said.

‘And?’

Tyler’s expression softened; he almost looked sorry for her. ‘I asked him about it,’ said Tyler, ‘he saw us on the quay, he saw you and – I asked him about Elder House.’

‘And?’

‘It’s not my old house,’ said Evie.

‘It was like I told you. There was stuff going missing all the time – pens and pencils, tools, his phone.’ His smile was thin, unconvincing. ‘Everyone reckoned it was sealed up underneath a floorboard somewhere, so they tried ringing it, but that didn’t work. They could hear it, but when they took the boards up there was nothing there. And he swore he heard someone moving around, did this bloke, upstairs. Only he wanted to know about you too and—’

‘It’s not my house,’ said Evie, louder this time, and they stopped and looked at her, the both of them. ‘It’s never been my house.’

‘You’re joking . . .’ Tyler looked half-disbelieving, half amused. ‘How can you not know?’ He turned to Kym. ‘Is she taking the piss?’

‘You never said – you never told me—’ Evie stumbled back. ‘It’s not – you let me make all those notes. You just had me lay out the whole history of that house – and for what—’ She looked at Tyler. ‘So he could come along and – so you could both – laugh at me?’

‘Wait,’ said Kym, standing. ‘No. Wait.’ She made a move as if she might take Evie’s arm, might pull her close.