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metal bucket. ‘He’s broken one leg,’ she said, ‘and one arm. And he’s lost four of his teeth.’ She didn’t look round; her voice was quite matter-of-fact and it was only from the slightest quiver that Alicia guessed she was crying.
    She was so embarrassed and so put out that she left the scullery. Pity only occurred to her immediately afterwards. ‘How dreadful for you,’ she called to Pearl from the kitchen. ‘How very dreadful. Will he be all right?’
    She avoided Pearl for the rest of the morning while she worked, a mountain of grief lumbering slowly around the house. Alicia resented Pearl’s tragedy, and her timing which had stolen Alicia’s big scene. She was sorry about the child, of course. Who wouldn’t be? It was a terrible shame. But she couldn’t help suspecting that the boy might not have looked carefully in both directions before he stepped out into the road.
    When Pearl was getting ready to go, Alicia could not resist bringing up the subject of her caller once again. ‘Who do you think it could have been?’ she asked Pearl plaintively, as Pearl wrung out the rags.
    ‘Who?’
    ‘My visitor, my unexpected caller.’
    Pearl sighed. ‘It’s hard to say, isn’t it? It could have been anyone.’
    ‘But who do you
think
? I’ve got my theory.’
    ‘Oh, some kid,’ Pearl answered wearily. ‘Ringing all the bells in the road to bother people.’
    ‘“Some kid,”’ Alicia repeated scornfully. ‘No, I’ll tell you who I think it was; it was one of those video kids. They watch all those horrible goings-on on the videos, you know, and it drives them wild and then they go out and do the same things to old people. I’ve read about them in the paper.’
    ‘Do you think so?’ said Pearl absently. She unlocked the back door to hang the rags out on the line. Instead of shivering theatrically and telling Pearl off for opening the door while she was in the room – and without her cardigan too – Alicia followed her out on to the doorstep. ‘Well, it makes sense, doesn’t it? Ringing the bell madly like that, again and again?’
    Pearl pegged the rags methodically on to the line. ‘I don’t think you ought to worry about it, Mrs Queripel,’ she said kindly. ‘Just put it right out of your mind.’
    ‘Don’t you?’ Alicia responded indignantly. ‘Don’t you, indeed? Well, let me tell you, I think you’re very wrong. I happen to think this is a matter of some importance.’
    Pearl came back into the kitchen past her and Alicia was caught off-guard by a real shiver. ‘I shall catch my death,’ she exclaimed belatedly. ‘We’re not all easy-going and happy-go-lucky, you know,’ she added pointedly to Pearl. ‘Some of us like to keep our wits about us.’ Then she remembered about Pearl’s little boy and she felt dreadful.
    Pearl put on her coat. She craned to look at herself in the bit of mirror by the door and gave a gusty sigh.
    ‘Will you be going to see your boy again today?’ Alicia asked guiltily.
    Pearl nodded. ‘After my next job.’
    Alicia went and fumbled with her biscuit tin. She was overcome by remorse. There was an older half-packet of Rich Teas in the tin, next to the newer Malted Milks. In an impulsive gesture, Alicia took out the Rich Teas and offered them to Pearl. ‘Here’s a little something for him from me,’ she simpered.
    Pear made to refuse. ‘Oh, no, thank you very much, Mrs Queripel.’
    But Alicia pushed the biscuits at her angrily. ‘Go on,’ she urged. ‘Take them. He needs a bit of spoiling at a time like this.’
    Pearl held them uncomfortably, as if they might blow up in her hands. ‘Thank you,’ she said stiffly. ‘I’d better be on my way. I’ll see you at the same time next week.’
    In the doorway, she turned and added, ‘I hope your caller doesn’t come back.’
    Alicia was so aghast at this idea, which had not crossed her mind, that she didn’t even answer goodbye. She stayed rooted in the kitchen. She didn’t watch