Because it wasn’t regular knocking, a quick one-two-three and then a pause, someone waiting patiently on the doorstep for an answer; it was swift, steady, relentless. The door vibrating so violently that Kym half expected it to burst open.

Maude edged closer. ‘Could it be, like, the wind?’

‘Could be,’ said Kym.

The door shuddered one last time, then fell still.

‘Should we check?’ Maude, didn’t move. ‘I mean, there might be someone there?’

God, I hope not, Kym thought. ‘Sure,’ she said. ‘You go back up to your room though, OK?’

She waited until she was sure Maude had scrambled back up the ladder, then she walked down the stairs, nice and steady, purposeful.

Someone had knocked while they were in the attic, that was all, and when they hadn’t got a reply, they’d become impatient, rattling the locked door. Worst case scenario, it was some visitor from the yard, pissed off because they couldn’t raise anyone to lend them a cup of sugar or something.

Kym placed her hand on the Yale lock, shiny and new, and took a deep breath; now she thought about it, the silence was worse than the noise.

Just a neighbour, she told herself, if she was really unlucky it would be Carolyn Wilson, come to complain about something or other; worse, expecting to be invited in. She ran her fingers over the latch.

Behind her, through the kitchen, at the back of the house, there was another sudden explosion of sound, as someone started pounding at the kitchen door.

And suddenly it all made sense.

Tyler.

‘Kym!’ Maude was clattering down the ladder.

‘It’s all right,’ Kym called out, ‘It’s just someone messing about.’ Ty, she thought as she moved through the dining area, Ty hanging about outside, knocking on the doors, winding her up because he didn’t like to be told no. Because he knew what would get her attention and how she felt about this house.

She reached the back door in a few strides, not even bothering to switch on the lights, unlocked it and flung it open.

There was no one there.

‘Kym?’ Maude was a few paces behind her.

‘Stay here, OK?’ Kym hesitated for a moment, then plunged into the darkness.

*

She could hear him, a few steps ahead, just out of sight, and as she rounded the corner, she wondered if she might catch him in the act, hammering on the front door. Tosser.

There was no one there. He’d obviously had enough, but she could probably catch him before he made it to the end of the yard. She set off down the steps, wishing she had the nerve to run, but fearful of stumbling in the dark.

‘Ty! Tyler!’

She’d just reached Spinnaker Cottage when the yard was flooded with a pale orange light. ‘Shit!’

She’d forgotten about the security lights.