Indignation and fear mingled in her heart

The letter arrived on the hall mat together with a bill Ingrid knew would have a great red overdue stamp across it, an unsolicited Cotton Traders mail order brochure for clothes she couldn’t afford, and a flyer from the council which she would read later on the off chance it applied to her. Highly unlikely.

The envelope was made of thick paper, which misled Ingrid into believing the contents were substantial. Her name and address were typed, the typist using an old-fashioned typewriter – the ...