‘That’s three sillies,’ I warned her. ‘And you’re asking me for a favour.’

‘The house,’ she went on, as if I hadn’t spoken. ‘My house, I mean. Cranham’s house. There are people going to be staying there for a little while. Friends of friends, I suppose you’d call them, and, well, I haven’t so much as asked anybody to run a duster over the place since the last time I was up home and I’ve got papers and books and, well … personal things, and I can’t get there for at least a couple of days, and …’

I made some clucking sounds, telling her it would be my pleasure, which was a bit of an exaggeration but not much of a one. I still felt like she had made some terrible mistake when she first became my friend. She was cleverer and prettier and more worldly than me but she seemed to think there was something in me worth being around and after fifteen years of being bosom pals I still got a bit of a kick from being her confidante.

‘Flick, you’re probably going to do your nut but can you go tonight? It’s just, well … Flick, there are things there that people shouldn’t see. Least of all these people, if you catch my meaning. And, look, don’t say any more, OK? And if you could get in and away before they arrive, well, that wouldn’t be the worst thing. It’s all a bit hectic this end. A work thing. But, look, I know there might be some bad memories for you, but you’re over all that fretting stuff now, aren’t you? If you see anybody up there, well, don’t even bother, just head on back, but if you could get Stefan’s blanket and some pictures and maybe those papers in the bottom drawer. Honestly, Flick, you’re really saving my life here …’

I hung up not long after. The clicking and buzzing on the line was making my head hurt and it made me sad to think upon her Stefan or the way her eyes went whenever she talked about him. We’d have to get a shift on if we were going to beat the rain and get there before her mysterious guests. John would grumble but his heart wouldn’t be in it. He hadn’t been out in the car for weeks and it might do him some good to get out of the house. He’d do anything for Cordelia, within reason. Life wasn’t offering us much excitement at that point and a chance to drive out to Gilsland in the dark and let ourselves in to Cordelia’s big spooky house was actually quite an offer. I told her we’d be on our way in no time and that I’d be quiet as the grave.