“I can’t stop turning the pages.”

“What do you think of the hero?”

Johnny pulled his face. “Dunno,” he said. “He’s a bit obvious. Handsome, brave and strong. Like a cardboard cutout.”

“Isn’t that what readers want?”

“I’d pick someone cool, not the usual kind of guy. Shake things up a bit.”

Liv decided to give it some thought.

The sun was beating down outside, so she took off her blazer and striped tie before heading out of the apartment to buy lunch.

Her eyes shone when she saw a new bookshop had opened in the city. The Bookshop on the Square had three rooms full of packed shelves, reaching from the floor to the ceiling. Worn velvet armchairs invited readers to sit and read, and there was a coffee shop at the back. She’d have stayed longer if she didn’t have a hungry teenager and an unfinished book to write waiting for her.

Five of Essie’s books sat in the fiction section and Liv thought they should be displayed more prominently. She slid them off the shelves and looked around her. When she was sure the shop assistants were busy, she gave three of the books new positions on tables, and placed two in the window display. She swallowed a giggle as she left the store.

In a delicatessen, she bought ham and mustard sandwiches, apples, and flapjacks, and clasped the paper bags to her chest. Georgia’s hero was still on her mind when she returned to the apartment. In the hallway, she shouted out to Johnny, “Hi, I’m back.”

Immediately, her eyes fell upon a curved lilac thing lying on the carpet. She was sure it hadn’t been there when she went out.

Holding her lunch under her chin, Liv reached down and picked it up. It was a false nail with a thick white tip. Her body cooled as if her blood had been drained and replaced with mercury. She ordered herself to stay calm.

She entered the sitting room as if in a trance and passed Johnny his lunch. “Did anyone call here while I was out?” she said.

He took out his sandwich, wrinkling his nose at the seeded bread. “Just the estate agent lady,” he said.

Liv’s throat tightened. An uneasy sensation flooded over her. “What estate agent lady?”

Johnny chewed and shrugged a shoulder. “She had this long blond hair and wore jeans and high heels.” He eyed his mum. “Don’t worry, she took them off in the hallway.”

“What exactly did she say to you?”

“Just that Essie’s selling the apartment and she needed to take photos for the website.”