Quickly, Mrs Hyde loads the basket with her damp washing and, still without any acknowledgement, scurries away, disappearing around the house.

Kenneth, meanwhile, has barely moved. He coughs and pulls out a handkerchief that he holds to his mouth.

‘I’ll get it fixed,’ he says. His voice is hoarse, the words rasp on his tongue. Marina is reminded of a saw on wood.

‘Do you know how long it will take?’

He pauses. ‘A few days. I’ll do it myself.’

She wants to keep him there, press him further. The boiler is one thing, but Kenneth Quip and the knowledge he has is another. Too late. He is walking away from her, towards the end of the garden, using his stick to part the long grass.

‘I’d like to paint the flat,’ she calls out. ‘The estate agent said it’s all right, but . . .’

He cuts her short, waving his handkerchief, signalling no objection. She can hear him spluttering as he disappears from sight.

Ron is bounding up from the basement as she rounds the front of the house. He stops, surprised to see her.

‘What are you doing out so early?’

‘I was on a mission,’ she replies. ‘Spotted the landlord in the garden and chased him.’

Ron grins. ‘What did you say to him?’

‘I asked him to fix the boiler and he agreed.’

‘Bloody hell. How did you manage that? Charm?’

She grimaces. ‘Not exactly.’ She takes in Ron’s clothes – his casual jacket, shirt and trousers. ‘Off to work?’

‘Yes, but I intended to stop off and tell you the news. I’ve spoken to Eva.’

‘Oh?’

‘I told her about your article and she said she’d be happy to speak to you. In fact, she was interested.’

Marina’s stomach churns. ‘That’s great. When?’

‘This afternoon, at about five?’

She nods eagerly. ‘Perfect. It’s good of her.’

‘Yeah.’ He is blushing. She suspects the candle he holds for Eva has been reignited.

She spends the rest of the day settling on blue as the colour for the walls and driving to the nearest DIY shop to fetch the paint.

When she gets home, she prises off the lid and considers where to start. She knows she should lay a groundsheet and prepare the walls by washing them down and putting masking tape around the edges. This is the method David uses, but David is methodical. Marina is more like Ruth – haphazard. Besides, right now she can’t be bothered. So, she replaces the lid on the paint and digs out a cigarette from the packet she has buried in the wardrobe. As she smokes, she considers what questions to ask Eva.