A sudden noise from outside made me sit up and listen. Jobie, who had been lying at my feet, jumped up at once and gave a little bark of warning. I shushed Jack and muted the TV. Loud voices and laughter could be heard from the front of the cottage. We went to the window and peered out in time to see a group of five or six jeering teenage lads disappearing at speed up the road.

‘Fuck off on your broomstick, you old witch!’ was one’s parting shot.

Jack switched on the hall light and opened the front door. Eggs had been pelted at all of Mrs Barley’s front windows; yellow goo was left dribbling down the glass, shells lying smashed on the ground beneath.

Mrs Barley appeared at her door. She came out onto the path and inspected the mess, her face white with anger.

‘Little bastards,’ she growled. ‘Every year it’s the same. They’ll live to regret it one day.’

‘I’ll help you clean it off tomorrow,’ Jack told her, glancing at me and grimacing. ‘Kids, eh.’

She turned to look at us, her expression almost murderous. ‘The next generation just the same as the one before. All scum, with no respect for their elders. I’ve had a bellyful of it.’

She slammed her door so hard that the reverberation could be felt in our own walls. Jack and I looked at one another in stunned silence. A sudden wail from above told us that the disturbance had woken Elodie.

I groaned. ‘I’ll go.’

I made my way upstairs. It was gone 10 p.m. by now and I decided I might as well turn in for the night, leaving Jack to walk Jobie and switch everything off.

‘Suffice to say Halloween’s not Mrs B’s favourite festival,’ said Jack, as he climbed into bed beside me a little while later. ‘They really don’t like her, the locals, do they?’

‘It’s so odd. I mean, I know kids do that sort of thing, but why target an old lady? Mind you, she obviously doesn’t like the modern take on Halloween. Maybe she’s been abusive to people and that’s why they’ve got it in for her. I feel sorry for her, though. I think she’s a decent person at heart and no one round here seems prepared to give her a chance.’

‘Well, all we can do is try to be supportive and let her know we’re on her side, even if she can be a bit, well, out there at times. Anyway, let’s try to get some sleep. I’m bushed – and no doubt Elodie will be waking us up again in a few hours. Plus it looks like I’m going to have to don my window cleaner’s hat tomorrow. Deep joy.’

*