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formal introduction he went on to explain the office hierarchy.
    “There is no ‘McLay’, there hasn’t been for years.  He was a contemporary of my father’s.  I am the broker and Martin Campbell is my assistant, he’s out on a call at the moment .  We are all on first name terms here.  It’s a small office and I can’t be doing with formalities.  You met Sandra, she manages the office and the other girl is Pamela.  Deborah, who you’ll be replacing, is on maternity leave, but it’s unlikely she’ll return after the birth.  I’ve seen your c.v. that the agency sent, I’m satisfied you understand what’s required and you’re more than qualified for the post.  We’re inundated with work at the moment so I’ve decided not to waste anybody’s time by carrying out multiple interviews.  If you think you’d like to work here, the job’s yours.  Is there anything you’d like to ask me?”
    Katy was stunned.  She didn’t know what to say.  “When would you like me to start?” she finally managed.
    David glanced at the calendar on his desk, “A week on Monday is the first of the month, so if you could start then.  That will give you a few days to get organised.  The agency said you’ve just moved up from somewhere near Manchester.  Moving is always a pain.  It takes so long to sort things out.”
    Katy nodded her agreement.  Y ou don’t know the half of it, she thought.
    She left the office in a daze clutching paperwork to be completed and information about the business.  It was only when she’d walked a few metres that she realised she hadn’t asked what the job paid and, because it was important for her to be able to budget her money, she returned to ask the question.
    “Not what you’re used to, I’m afraid,” David said.  “The wage is sixteen thousand, four hundred a year.  Will that be a problem for you?”
    “No problem at all, thanks, I just needed to know,” she replied and once again turned to leave.
    “See you a week on Monday,” David said.
    “ Yes, see you then,” she replied happily.
    The next day the girls held a party to celebrate.  Amongst them they bought a quantity of cheap minced beef, some pasta sauce and dried pasta from ‘Saverstore’ for the main course.  Katy supplied four bottles of ‘Lambrusco’ to toast her new job, cola for the children and four extra-long, chocolate-marble, cake blocks also from ‘Saverstore’.  The excitement in the house was palpable.  The last celebration was when Emma, a previous tenant of the refuge, was accepted back by her family with the baby they hadn’t approved of.  The only thing marring the day was that Tricia, on hearing about Katy’s job, had been forced to serve her with a four week’s notice to quit.  With some money in the bank, a new job and no children to consider, she was no longer seen to be a deserving case for the refuge.  However, Tricia had lined up a council owned flat for her to see that was only fifteen minutes by bus from McLay and Bell’s office.  She decided that whatever the flat was like she’d accept it.  If she hated it, she only had to give one month’s notice and it would give her her own space in the short term.  When the party was in full swing, she confided in Marie about being asked to leave the refuge.
    “Where are you moving to, Hen?  Is it close by?” Marie asked.
    “I haven’t seen it or said I’ll take it yet,” she replied, “But Tricia said it’s in a place called Townhead.”
    “Aye, Townhead is okay since they rebuilt it.  It used to be quite rough but it’s okay now and there are two unis’ and a hospital nearby so lots of students live there.  I hope you dinnae mind heights though.  There are some low rise flats but you’ll probably be offered one in a high rise.  These buildings are over twenty storeys high, but at least they have lifts that work, most of the time, and you’ll be close to the buses and trains.”
    Katy hadn’t even