The team brought Clint to the store to work out the details of their new alliance. Gladys wasn’t interested. She went out to the damaged front room. It had started to rain. There was water getting in.

Going outside to adjust the plastic wrapping they’d used to cover the hole, she was caught off guard by a sudden voice. “Remodelling, eh?”

She turned. There was an old man in a uniform walking up to her, and before she knew could react, he was holding an umbrella over her head.

“Um, yeah,” she said. “Who’re you?”

“I guess I’m your neighbour.”