said.

      ‘I’ll go and splash some water on my face.’

      She stood up, which drew Pepe back from the gate so he could jump up at her instead. Edie batted him away. He growled back at her.

      ‘Stay where you are, Edie,’ Mum said. ‘I’ll be fine.’

      Pepe continued to circle Mum until Auntie Becca called to him.

      ‘Gina’s not quite herself, is she?’ Auntie Becca said when Mum was inside.

      ‘It’s since Mrs Vickers left,’ Tess said.

      Edie tried to catch Tess’s eye, to shut her up, but Tess wasn’t looking at her, deliberately, Edie thought.

      ‘Val Vickers,’ said Auntie Becca. ‘She can’t be much of a loss, if she’s anything like her sister.’

      ‘She’s always nice to us,’ Edie said.

      ‘You know Valentina’s sister?’ Tess said at the same time.

      Her eyes lit up.

      ‘I knew her. At school, Lillian Harlith. My God that girl gave herself some airs and graces. You’d think her father was a lord not a trader on the Rag Market. I’m sure some dodgy dealings were going on there. They always had fancy cars, cruises, fur coats. You don’t make that much money selling a few yards of cloth, do you?’

      ‘And Valentina was at school with you, too?’ Edie asked.

      ‘No. She’s a few years younger. I couldn’t believe it when she moved in next door to you. I’m sure that’s not what her father had in mind. I’ve no idea what happened there. Rumour had it that her husband was a gambler; it would explain where all the money went. Because I know when their father sold up he gave them a pretty penny. Lillian bought that huge place over by the rose gardens. I don’t know what Valentina did with her money. Whatever it was it didn’t last. A Harlith girl on the Limewoods Estate. I’d never have believed it.’

      ‘We live on Limewoods,’ Edie said.

      ‘I know,’ said Auntie Becca. ‘But it’s not forever, is it?’

      ‘I don’t want to move.’

      Auntie Becca screwed up her face.

      ‘At least our neighbours aren’t feral,’ Edie said.

      Auntie Becca turned to her. She looked angry and was about to say something, when Tess asked, ‘Does Lillian still live by the rose gardens?’

      Auntie Becca was still looking at Edie when she replied, ‘I don’t think so. I was driving past there not so long back and another family came out of the house.’

      ‘So you don’t know where she is?’

      ‘Where who is?’

      Mum had returned without them noticing.

      ‘Nothing,’ Tess said.

      ‘Oh, they were asking me about your neighbour, that awful Harlith woman or Vickers or whatever she is these days.’

      Mum’s forehead contracted.

      ‘I told you not to interfere, girls.’

      Neither Edie nor Tess looked up.

      ‘So she’s upped sticks, has she, Val Vickers?’ Auntie Becca said.

      Mum didn’t reply.

      ‘I heard she wanted children,’ Auntie Becca said. ‘Maybe he doesn’t. Maybe he can’t afford it.’

      ‘I really don’t know, Becca. It’s all I can do to keep these two from sticking their noses in.’

      She picked up her coat.

      ‘It’s time we were off.’

      ‘Not before Ray and Vince get back,’ Auntie Becca said. ‘Ray wants to see you and he’s giving you a lift.’

      ‘I’ve got a headache,’ Mum said. ‘We’ll get the bus.’

      ‘But the girls can stay.’

      ‘No, they can’t.’

      Tess was already on her feet and Edie took one look at Mum before getting up. Usually she would have argued, but she remembered Mum’s tears from the week before.

      ‘Ray will be disappointed,’ Auntie Becca said.

      ‘I’m sure he’ll get over it,’ Mum said.

      Auntie Becca frowned. Mum grabbed the girls’ arms and pulled them towards the door. Pepe, who had barked loudly when they arrived, now didn’t want them to leave. He crouched in front of them, arched his back and growled.

      Mum looked at Auntie Becca.

      ‘He’s harmless, Gina. Just ignore him.’

      Edie hung slightly behind Mum. Pepe wasn’t a large dog but his teeth looked big and sharp. Mum walked forwards. Pepe shuffled in front of her, blocking her path and still growling. Eventually, Auntie Becca got up.

      ‘Pepe, Peps,’ she called.

      The dog ignored her. She walked over, grabbed its collar and pulled him back. Edie inched past him with Mum and Tess.

      ‘Bye, Becca,’ Mum said.

      The dog was still pulling on the collar and growling as they left.

      *

      Edie didn’t dare complain about the cold wind and standing at the bus stop for twenty minutes. It took an hour and two changes to get home. Mum didn’t say a word during the whole trip.

      ‘Go to your room,’ Mum said when they got through the front door.

      ‘We only wanted to know if Valentina is at her sister’s,’ Tess said.

      ‘I’m disappointed in both of you.’

      Edie shot Tess a warning look.

      ‘We didn’t stick our noses in,’ Tess said. ‘Auntie Becca started talking about her. Did you know she used to have loads of money and Mr Vickers gambled it away?’

      ‘That’s pure gossip.’

      Mum’s face was getting angrier. Why wouldn’t Tess shut up?

      ‘But what if she’s not at her sister’s? He could have done something to her.’

      ‘Enough, Tess.’

      ‘He might have killed her. Her body could be in the freezer or under the floorboards. John Christie used to—’

      ‘That’s enough!’ Mum rarely shouted and Tess looked up as if from a trance.

      ‘If I find you’ve been snooping around…’ Mum said.

      ‘We haven’t,’ Edie said.

      ‘I’m ashamed of you. After I told you to leave that man alone. He’s going through enough.’

      ‘Mum. He’s… he’s…’

      Mum was glaring at Tess, daring her to say the words. Tess closed her mouth.

      ‘Mr Vickers is a very unhappy man,’ Mum said. ‘And he can do without two silly little girls tormenting him. And if I find out there’s been any more snooping you’ll be grounded till Christmas.’

      This time Tess stayed silent.

      ‘Now go to your room. I don’t want to see either of you right now.’

      Edie and Tess slunk off.

      ‘You shouldn’t have said all that,’ Edie said when they were upstairs.

      ‘She has to know,’ Tess said.

      ‘I think Mum does know.’

      ‘Knows what?’