As Roz rounded the corner towards the laundry on Stanley Road, she chided herself inwardly. Why had she spent the last few minutes thinking about her miserable life with the Haggartys when she had people like Mabel and Felix waiting for her?

Blissfully unaware that she was being watched by Suzie, Roz waited for Mabel to appear.

Moments after Roz had left to go to the market, Lilith had addressed her granddaughter sharply.

‘Follow her, you stupid child, before she gets away!’

Utterly perplexed, Suzie looked from her grandmother to her father and back again. ‘I thought you said not to pay any attention to her.’

‘I only said that so that she wouldn’t get suspicious,’ hissed Lilith, hobbling over to the window where she could see Roz carefully climbing down the stairs. She held up a halting finger as Suzie went to open the door. ‘Not yet, she’s not clear of the building. Wait until she’s halfway across the yard before you go. We know she’s heading to Paddy’s market first, but I’d wager she’s a destination in mind after that. I don’t believe that cock-and-bull story she gave us yesterday. I could tell by the look in her eye she weren’t tellin’ the truth, and her behaviour this morning makes me believe I was right to doubt her.’ She brought down her finger in a sweeping motion. ‘Off you go, child, before you lose her, but make sure you ain’t seen. I want to know exactly where she goes, and what she’s up to.’

Grinning deviously to herself, Suzie slipped out of the room.

Callum joined his mother by the window. ‘Why’re you so bothered where she goes?’

She raised her brow in surprise. ‘Aren’t you?’

Callum shook his head. ‘Even if she is seein’ some feller, what skin is it off of our nose? Worse comes to the worse, she leaves and moves in with him, makes no odds to us.’

‘Unless she’s gettin’ paid for her services …’ said Lilith, who had left Callum and was now poking her stick through the sacking that Roz used as her bedding. She hooked it by the end and brought it up so that she could examine it more closely.

Callum pushed away from the window frame. ‘You think she might be holdin’ out on us?’

Lilith shrugged. ‘Could be, but if she is, she’s taken the money with her, or hidden it elsewhere.’ She cast a shrewd eye around the room, before giving up and throwing the sack back on the floor.

‘Sneaky little bitch!’ cursed Callum through thin lips. ‘And on my time too.’

‘See what I mean?’

Callum nodded. ‘You wait ’til I get my hands on her—’