Roz hadn’t given this any thought until now. She really didn’t care about telling them as she knew they wouldn’t be interested if she were to leave. It wasn’t as if they’d worry something had happened to her and go to the police and local hospitals, but on the other hand to not go back would be leaving them in the lurch because neither Lilith nor Suzie could drive the lorry. ‘I shall tell them I’m leaving so that they have time to sort themselves out. I may not like them, but Lilith is old, and I don’t think she could drive the lorry, so they’ll have to teach Suzie – either that or Callum will have to give up his little sideline.’

‘He won’t like that idea,’ said Felix. ‘If you give notice do you not think they’ll make your life hell in the meantime?’

Roz laughed. ‘What on earth could they do to make it any worse than it already is? Besides, I should think Suzie and Lilith will be whooping for joy when they hear I’m leaving.’

Felix wasn’t so sure. ‘They might not like you, but you do a lot of the work. You said yourself that the folk on the market used to give more because it was you doing the asking, and Callum will have his hands full driving the lorry again if you’re not there. I think you’re worth more to them than you think.’

Mabel crunched her mint with satisfaction before speaking. ‘He’s right. They’d have chucked you out long since, had you not been needed. The only reason why you get to spend more time with me and Felix is because you can’t go scrounging down the market any more.’

‘True,’ Roz conceded, ‘but they can’t stop me, and if they do, I’ll tell Callum that I know what he’s been doing every time the siren sounds – that should change his mind.’

Mabel’s eyes grew wide. ‘Ooh, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You know what an evil temper he has when he feels threatened, and he’s already said you’ll be sleeping with the fishes should you say summat he doesn’t like – and he won’t like that!’

Felix nodded fervently. ‘I think Mabel’s right. You start throwing threats around, and he might decide to take you for a dip—’

‘Like he did Suzie’s mam,’ Mabel hissed. She was looking around to make sure no one could overhear her. ‘’Cos it wouldn’t surprise me if she said summat out of turn, and …’ she drew her finger across her throat whilst making a slitting sound.

‘Do you really think he murdered her?’ Roz asked. ‘I know he could quite cheerfully have choked me on more than one occasion, but there’s a deal of difference between thinking and doing.’

Mabel looked exaggeratedly around. ‘Where is she then?’

This was a good point. No one, including Suzie, from what Roz could gather, knew where her mother was. But surely Suzie and Lilith would have heard or seen something? She said as much to Felix and Mabel.