Five days in January

A short story by Lauren Schott

- Lauren Schott

Mrs Clare Boyne of 48 Parsons Avenue could not have been sorrier. "I'm so sorry about this," she told Amelia as she opened the front door to her.

"I'm sorry it's so last-minute. But we've only just booked it. Like I said on the phone; we never go on holiday but it was half price in January and I - well, I just think we need it. Though I hate leaving Boris."

Boris, a basset hound with droopy, red-rimmed eyes and endless ears, stood dully at Mrs Boyne's feet. He took no notice of Amelia as she stepped across the threshold into the house's stark grey-and-white interior.

"It'll be an easy job," Mrs Boyne said. "Boris barely moves. He's blind and deaf and only shuffles to the corner and back. And the house shouldn't be any trouble for you."

The house was exactly what Amelia had expected. After Mrs Boyne had contacted her on the housesitting website, Amelia had done her research. Clare T Boyne was divorced and lived with her nine-year-old son, who right then was thumping a suitcase down the stairs.

Mrs Boyne, Amelia knew, had paid a lot of money for this detached Edwardian four-bedroom and she could afford this because of her job as a top marketing executive. Mrs Boyne's pricey house was chock full of expensive electronics too. Amelia had known it would be, for Mrs Boyne was fond of putting product reviews online. Mrs Boyne was fond of putting everything online, which made her, as far as Amelia was concerned, the perfect client.

Before Mrs Boyne and her son left for the airport, she paid Amelia in cash, at one and a half times the usual rate. They had agreed to this before Amelia would confirm the booking. She knew Mrs Boyne could spare the money, and she knew Mrs Boyne was desperate too.