long. There’s a round pond in the middle of a turning circle in front of the house, with a squat little water fountain at the centre of it.
‘The door looks closed to me,’ Dom says.
‘It’s opening. I think someone’s spying on us from inside.’
As I say this, the front door of 14 Wyddial Lane closes with a click.
‘Did you hear that?’ I say. ‘Whoever’s in there decided they didn’t want to talk to us.’
Dom nods. ‘You were right. Come on, let’s try number 18.’
‘Wait. Look.’ Number 14’s door is opening again. Slowly, it moves until it’s all the way open. A woman emerges from the house: mid-sixties, short grey hair, large pearl earrings, beige trousers with sharp creases ironed into them. A white blouse with a fussy, flouncy bit at the top that looks like an attached scarf. Pinned to this is a coral-pink and white cameo brooch.
She approaches slowly, as if hoping to work out who Dominic and I are before she reaches us. Eventually she arrives at the gate, which she doesn’t open.
‘Is everything all right?’ she asks me sharply.
This throws me. ‘Yes, thanks.’
‘I heard an argument. Raised voices.’
It was hardly an argument, but I’m not going to quibble. ‘Yes, that was us, but we’re fine, thank you. I wanted to—’
‘If this gentleman’s bothering you, I can summon help.’ Keeping her eyes on me, she nods at Dominic.
‘Everything’s fine, honestly. He’s my husband.’
‘That, I’m afraid, is no guarantee of anything,’ the woman says sternly.
I’m not sure how to reply. ‘There’s no problem, really.’
‘What can I do for you, then, if you don’t need help?’
‘My name’s Beth Leeson,’ I tell her. ‘This is going to sound a bit weird. I was here yesterday, and—’
‘I know you were.’
‘You do?’
‘Yes. You parked your car over there, as you have today, except it was a different car. You had a boy with you. Then you drove away, and returned a short while later without the boy.’
I smile at her. ‘You’re very observant.’
‘One needs to be.’
‘That was my son, Ben. I dropped him off at his football match and then I came back.’
‘What business do you have on Wyddial Lane?’
‘None, probably. That’s what I’m hoping you can help me with. I had some friends who lived next door, at number 16, a few years ago. Lewis and Flora Braid.’
‘Before my time. When did they leave? I’ve only been here three years.’
‘I’m not exactly sure. But … I’m assuming you know the names of the people who live in the house now?’
Her eyes narrow. ‘I do, yes.’
‘Are their names Lewis and Flora Braid?’
‘No. Didn’t you just tell me that your friends have moved away?’
‘Yes. I was pretty sure they had, but I wanted to check.’
‘Well, now you’ve checked. A different family lives in the house now. No one by the name of Braid.’
‘Thank you,’ says Dom. ‘That’s incredibly helpful to know.’
She gives him a curt nod.
‘Come on, Beth.’
‘Hold on. Would you mind telling me the name of the family that lives at number 16 now?’ I ask the woman.
‘I think I would, yes. I wouldn’t appreciate it if they gave my name to complete strangers. Why do you care what they’re called? I thought it was your friends the Braids you were interested in.’
‘It is,’ says Dom. ‘Thank you. Sorry for bothering you.’
‘Wait a second,’ I say. ‘Maybe if I tell you—’
‘Beth,’ says Dom forcefully. He puts his hand on my arm and tries to steer me away.
‘I’m not ready to leave yet,’ I snap at him. Great. Now the woman behind the gate will be confirmed in her suspicion that he’s a tyrannical wife-beater.
‘They’re called Cater,’ she says unexpectedly. ‘Kevin and Jeanette Cater.’
‘Thank you so much. Do they have young children? Is one of them known as Chimp, or Chimpy?’
The woman looks affronted. She takes a step back.
‘Why on earth would you ask me that?’
‘Does either of them drive a silver Range Rover?’
‘May I ask what is going on here?’ She stares at me with undisguised suspicion. ‘This is starting to feel more than a little irregular. A great deal more is involved, I suspect, than a desire to know if an old friend is still in the same house.’
‘Yes. You’re right.’ If I want more information from her, I’m going to have to tell her. ‘My friends – the Braids – are supposed to have moved away. To America. But when I was here yesterday morning, I saw a silver Range Rover drive up and go in through the gates. A woman