At two minutes to eleven, she returned and rang the front doorbell, waiting for it to be answered as if it was all routine, even managing a smile for Audrey the receptionist who pulled the door open with a concerned expression on her normally jovial face.

‘Good morning.’ Jodie was pleased to hear her voice sounding normal, strong and firm. No sign of the tremor she could feel in her belly.

‘Oh Jodie.’ The oozing sympathy in Audrey’s voice was almost her undoing. She’d hoped the error she was being accused of would be kept confidential, making it easier to return to work with some level of authority, but if the receptionist, the home’s town crier, knew about it, then everyone did.

Audrey’s eyes were bright with curiosity as they searched Jodie’s face for signs of her devastation, for anything to gossip about in hushed whispers over coffee later. It was time for Jodie to brazen it out, she mightn’t stop the gossip, but she could change the script. She gave a shrug indicating, she hoped, her unconcern at this silly situation and her total confidence she would be cleared of any wrongdoing.

A door opened to the right of the reception area to instantly claim both women’s attention. Audrey scooted back behind her desk and Jodie, with a lift of her chin, turned to face the manager.

‘Good morning, Jodie,’ Katy Dobson said, standing back and waving into the office behind her. ‘Come in, please.’

The office was spacious and bright. A floor-to-ceiling window on one side overlooked the garden where Jodie had sat only moments before, the arching flower spikes of the grasses directly outside providing some privacy for both room and garden.

There were two other people present. Jodie recognised the dumpy woman with the overlarge glasses perched on the end of a pert nose as Ivy Skellin, the human resources manager. The other woman, staring at her with suspicious, almost condemnatory eyes, was a stranger.

Katy sat behind her desk and nodded to the remaining vacant chair. ‘Have a seat.’

Jodie sat. She’d have liked to have hugged her bag to her chest in protection. Instead, she opened it, took out her notebook and pen, dropped the bag to the floor beside her and sat back expectantly.

‘This is a preliminary investigative meeting to discuss the allegation against you.’ Katy linked her hands on the desk in front of her. ‘You know Ivy, of course, and this–’ she waved towards where the second woman sat ‘–is Ms Youlden from the company’s legal team.’

Jodie’s smile to both wasn’t returned. She kept it pinned in place for a while longer before letting it fade away.

‘At the end of this meeting, we will ask you to wait outside while we discuss how to proceed and let you know our decision.’ Katy unclasped her hands and met Jodie’s eyes. ‘Do you have any questions?’