‘Not yet,’ Lou said tersely as she closed the door. She took a moment to compose herself before following Tiff into the kitchen.

‘No water?’ Tiff said, bending down in front of the fridge.

‘Garage.’

Tiff threw Louisa a blank look.

‘The bottled water. It’s in the garage,’ Louisa said without moving. Tiff, finally realising she was going to have to fetch it herself, disappeared through the utility door. Louisa heard the fluorescent strip light in the garage pop several times before it illuminated, followed by Tiff’s excited voice.

‘Oh, wow, Lou! You never told me you had a drone.’ Tiff reappeared in the kitchen, minus the bottled water, but with Brian’s new plaything in her arms.

‘It’s new.’ Louisa really couldn’t muster the energy to explain further. All she wanted was to get to the point of why she’d asked Tiff over: to talk about Brian and Oliver, and find out what the hell was going on.

‘Can I borrow it? Brian wouldn’t mind.’ Tiff fluttered her eyelashes, and despite it being in a jokey way, Louisa flinched. Was that all she’d had to do with Brian? She turned her face away from Tiff, not able to look her in the eye. A knot of tension was forming in her stomach. One that would only increase in size unless she started asking Tiff the questions that were plaguing her. It seemed though, that first she’d have to get the flying thing off Tiff’s agenda now she’d seen it.

‘What would you want with that thing?’

‘It’ll be perfect for the church event! They’re opening the tower tomorrow for villagers to climb up and see the view. Sarah is also involved—’ Tiff rolled her eyes dramatically ‘—much to my annoyance. Reverend Forsey apparently asked her – but having this would be the best one-upwomanship ever!’

‘How so?’ Louisa was intrigued now, in spite of her underlying need to change the subject.

‘Well …’ Tiff held the drone up as she spoke, zooming it around like a child would a toy aeroplane. ‘Don’t you think it would be great if it recorded each person being at the top of the tower, while doing a three-sixty shot around the church? It would look awesome. And be a great permanent record of the celebrations. Does it take still shots as well as video?’ Tiff twisted it around, concentration etched on her face.

Louisa shrugged. ‘Yes, I guess so. And it’s a better use for it than what Brian’s likely to find.’ Although it wasn’t hers to lend, after that morning’s conversation she assumed Brian would be fine with Tiff using it for one day. ‘Do you know how to use it properly though?’