Emily was up by five o’clock, unable to stay in bed when there was so much to check. Chad turned over and growled at her when she asked if he was awake. She envied him his ability to sleep at will and to go back to sleep in the morning after she got up. With a fond look at the lump under the bedcovers, she went for her shower, then left the flat and switched off the security system. The big suite of showrooms was full of delicate dawn light and the displays looked mysterious, some of them even magical. Then she heard a footstep and stopped enjoying the antiques to investigate. Ashley was standing in the rear showroom, not touching anything, just looking round with intense concentration, much as Emily herself had been doing. She deliberately made more noise than she needed to as she approached. The new tenant turned round. ‘Is it all right if I look at the …’ She frowned. ‘What do you call these?’ ‘Displays.’ ‘Yes.’ Ashley repeated it two or three times under her breath.
