The handles of the plastic shopper were biting into her palm so she stopped for a moment to swap hands. Irene could have sworn this bag was now twice as heavy as it had been when she left the shop. She’d only needed a few essentials – eggs, milk, a tin of beans – but everything felt so exhausting these days.

It had been an effort to force herself out and about, as she kept being advised she must do. People had been very kind though, overall, and she had been pleasantly surprised by how many friends she appeared to have. She supposed that was one small silver lining to it all.

Huffing now, she began to trudge up the small incline that would take her to her own corner. It was like having sandbags attached to her arms and legs all the time. She had forgotten how bone-tiring sadness was. Or maybe it was her age. She was trying not to nap like an old lady, but it was hard when she fell into bed and then her mind seemed to switch on like a bright light that searched all the dark corners for answers she could never find.

As she rounded the corner to her own road, she saw that a police car was parked right outside her house. Her heart seemed to kick in her chest and she felt her breath come faster.

It couldn’t be for her, surely? She mentally scanned for any reason her neighbours might have the police round. Cathy at number 14 had that business with her son, Kyle, a while back, but that seemed to be over now and Irene had seen him going off at rush hour in a shirt and tie recently.

A strange thought leaked through her now, one that she didn’t quite know what to do with.

Most people got a shock when the police came to visit because they thought it might signify bad news about a loved one.

But Irene didn’t have anyone left to lose.

When she was almost alongside the car, both doors opened, and two women in plainclothes got out, both impossibly young-looking.

One may have been Chinese, with a short black bob and glasses over eyes that were peering keenly at Irene. She was small and slim and the other, with a brown ponytail and a straining blue blouse, was smiling, a bit nervously, Irene thought.

‘Mrs Copeland?’ The Chinese one approached her now. ‘I’m Detective Sergeant Amy Jin and this is Detective Constable Katie Morgan. Would it be okay if we came in and had a chat with you?’

Irene realized, afterwards, that she hadn’t even offered them a cup of tea.