“So, what, you think I’m being delusional? That Ali’s story spooked me and I’m inventing ghosts?”

She doesn’t let her voice rise to my challenge. “Not Ali’s story. I just think that maybe you’re overtired. You said yourself you haven’t been sleeping well.”

“I just haven’t got used to the Manse yet.”

“You told me that before we even got to the Manse.”

I turn for the stairs, exasperated, even though it’s true. I haven’t slept well since I took the call from Pete telling me my mother had died. Carrie follows me down to the ground floor after a beat or two. I busy myself finding my own keys, then I go outside and unlock the little Golf just as my phone starts to ring: Jonathan.

“Hey there,” I say, inordinately pleased to hear from him. It feels like an expression of support in the face of adversity. “I wasn’t expecting you still to be up.” Carrie is outside too, now. I mouth Jonathan at her and hold up two fingers. She nods and starts locking up the Manse.

“I’m almost not. Just climbing into bed as we speak. I wish you were here with me—not that I’d have enough energy to do anything about it.”

This is more affection than Jonathan usually displays on a phone. I wonder if he really is missing me more than either of us expected, or if he’s trying to make amends for Egypt. Today, I’ll take either. “Me too.” My words are almost engulfed by the yawn that overtakes me. “Crawling into bed with you has a lot of appeal right now.” I’ve wandered away from the Golf as we’re speaking. I look back at the Manse, up to the second floor, to the windows of Carrie’s master bedroom. She’s right: only a giant could place an ashtray on that windowsill. From the outside.

“Really? What dreadful plans do you have for today that lying beside an itinerant fifty-something reporter seems preferable?”

“Admin.” He groans sympathetically. “Oh, I wanted to tell you—I met a guy last night in the pub that might be interested in buying the place.”

That wakes him up a bit. “That sounds promising. Can you run the legal thing and a sale process in parallel? With the sale pending the legal resolution, I mean?”

“I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll ask my lawyer.” It’s a good idea. If Mr. MacKintyre okays it, I could call some estate agents this afternoon to at least get a valuation on the Manse. “You sound a bit less fraught than yesterday. Is it going better with Rod?”