After lunch, I do my chores; shopping for the weekend and a quick once-over for the kitchen and bathrooms, while I figure out how I’m going to sell Rupert on that house. When I’m ready, I sit down at the kitchen table and call him, my fingers crossed.

‘It’s perfect,’ I gush. ‘It still has all its original features, and a decent garden. It’s belonged to the same couple for forty years. It has a really lovely atmosphere. You can tell they were happy there.’

‘Is there enough money in it, though?’ Rupert asks.

It’s not what he’s used to. This is a great location for families, but it doesn’t attract the kind of client Rupert normally deals with.

‘I know the people who live here, and I know what they want. We can definitely make money out of it.’

I tap my fingers on the table, hoping desperately that he’ll go for it. He’s having to weigh up his desire to help me get a foothold in the industry against his instinct to go for the megabucks. I’ll understand if he pulls back, but if he agrees, it’ll be life-changing for me.

‘I won’t let you down,’ I blurt out, when his silence gets too much.

Rupert sighs. ‘I’m only concerned you might neglect my clients.’

‘Of course I won’t. I just want …’ I stop.

‘What is it you want, Grace?’

‘To deal with normal people.’

That makes him laugh. ‘This is your thing, but ultimately it’s my risk.’

I can feel him wavering. ‘I know what I’m doing. And I’m going to have more time anyway, with Lottie going to secondary school in September. What I do for you takes me maximum three days a week; not even that sometimes.’

‘Send me some figures.’

Someone’s at the door. I tell Rupert I’ll call him back and shake the tension out of my shoulders. I know I can persuade him but it’s a good thing we stopped there. I was beginning to get emotional.

‘Anna.’ I step back in surprise.

‘You don’t mind, do you? I’ve been clearing out my house. I thought I’d come and say goodbye.’

She looks frail. With her face free of make-up, her cropped hair and the jeans hanging off her hips, she bears a disturbing resemblance to the young people I used to help when I worked at the charity all those years ago. Empty eyes, lost soul.

‘Of course I don’t mind. Come in. I was just cleaning up.’

I peel off my rubber gloves and look past her, to see if Alex is there, waiting in the van, but there’s no sign of him. I close the door and usher her into the kitchen.

‘You look so much better,’ I say over my shoulder as I reach automatically for the kettle.