The room was small and simple, and contained an iron framed bed, a cot, a dresser, a box, an easy chair, and Iris' bag, which had already been brought up. Jenny left Iris once she had seen her to the room. The baby lay beside Iris, making little noises and moving her arms involuntarily, before falling asleep.

After some twenty minutes or so, there was the faintest noise of a door opening elsewhere on the landing, and - was it really there? - a slight, slow, creaking noise coming nearer. The last creak seemed to come from right behind Iris' door. Then all was silent again.