Behind her curtains, Josie watched with interest as the four smartly dressed men walked up the Drivers’ front path. One of them knocked on the door. There was no reply and after a short wait, he tried again. He bent down and peered through the letterbox.
‘You’re wasting your time,’ she said, bustling over the road in her slippers. ‘They’re not in, I saw them go out in the car, about half an hour ago.’
‘Thank you Madam,’ said the man, straightening up. ‘When you say ‘them’, I take it you mean Mr and Mrs Driver?’
‘Oh no, it was only Kim - Mrs Driver - with that intern fellow and another chap. Mr Driver’s been away all day, I haven’t seen him at all.’
The men exchanged glances. They knew more about Joe’s whereabouts that she did.
‘And the others?’ he prompted gently.
‘The others?’ Josie wasn’t sure who he meant.
‘The three young people who are visiting. We have a date with them and we were sure they would be here.’ At least, that’s what the drone reported.
‘I don’t know anything about them,’ said Josie, rather peeved to have missed something. They probably left while she was taking the washing in - typical.
’Try knocking again, Marchant, while I go round the back,’ said the first man.
‘Here, you can’t do that, that’s private property that is,’ said Josie.
He took no notice and vaulted the low gate, disappearing round the side of the house, into the garden.
Josie folded her arms and stared at the remaining three.
‘I shall be reporting this, you know. A man’s home is his castle and you can’t go-’
She was interrupted by the return of the trespasser.
‘Nobody inside as far as I can tell. Everything clean and tidy, so a planned exodus, I would say. Come on.’ He beckoned to the others and started off back down the path.
‘Who shall I say was calling?’
‘You don’t need to mention we were here. If the young people aren’t here, it’s irrelevant now anyway.’
And with that, they were gone, climbing back into their black van and roaring away into the main road.
‘Well, said Josie, valiantly trying (and failing) to remember the licence plate. ‘What was all that about I wonder?’
* * *
Upstairs, Emma and Delphine exchanged glances. They had heard everything.
‘That was too close for comfort,’ said Emma. ‘We must warn the others.’
‘How can we? No communications, Xavier said.’
Emma shuddered. ‘Then we have to hope those men believed the neighbour and don’t come back.’
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