WINNIE KNOCKED. THE door was opened straightaway. Kate must have stood behind it while waiting for her to return.
Once inside, Winnie was careful to remove her shoes when she saw a pile of them by the side of the door. Two things she noticed immediately. The apartment was barely furnished, and it was spotless; not the sort of place one would expect for a five and a seven-year-old to be living full-time.
Kate was apologetic about their domestic situation.
‘I’m sorry, we haven’t settled in yet.’
Winnie smiled, ‘Don’t worry about it.’
A quick scan showed nothing personal. No photographs or decorations of any kind. Picture hooks looked like sore thumbs on the walls. Dust outlines, where picture frames used to hang, were a silent reminder that the new occupants had not made it their home.
