tcy, and  of ttage and knocked on there ‘as no answer.

    Mig ime of year  to tay edly to me:  delivering cakes for Cmas parties. erer be, just before Cmas? I er. I put t t and set off toward Angelfield house.

    It -e. I h my scarf wrapped around my face as high as my nose, I soon warmed up.

    At topped. In tance, at te, tivity. I fro; t in as I undid my buttons. Using my long lens, I cationary, and tanding in a loose cluster. t opped tle amping t to keep s rap from ttes. From time to time one of t to t tion. I tried to make out tood turned ae, facing t from time to time one or anot a glance over o them.

    Bee tent ed to cover part of te. t judging from tent ook to be tion  and overcoat, t ory nods and s ion, it  to, and ly.

    sentences; in  pauses t speak, but cense patience. At one point ion of ts jaeeting into t last o  conjured.

    A flap opened in te tent. A fiftepped out of it and joined t t, t over to  told irely ing, began to gatogets and t t and make to tes. tioned  trance to tent, back to tohe police car.

    I lo continued to gaze at te tent. I kne. I ion of t desecrated library. t o tumbled over burned and broken wood.

    t room. Buried in scorcected for decades by t fell.

    I couldn’t . I  appeared t someone ry ible.  to make tion? Yet er  t s struck me, and it y of t made me t migrue.

    if er  at all?

    o tumbled as t to t looking ion they had come from.

    It ing and almost falling, turned . Sopped. ant h knowledge and spoke.

    ‘You can’t go up to stay away.“

    “I see.”

    ‘tent,“ the girl added shyly.

    ‘I sa,“ I told her.

    In tes, tly breat.” And to me, “’s going on?”

    It ent. You’re not alloo go near. to go home.”

    to te, fro te tent. “Isn’t t  complete ion in front of t I knew w s.

    ‘I believe t is er’s  of her eyes.

    ‘Come on,“ sold t’s too cold to be outdoors, any’s go home and have cocoa.“

    ted tes and raced into treet. An invisible cord ogeto she cord away.

    I c a horrible absence by my side.

    t to me. “You could do  you? You’re as we as a g.”

    e fell into step, follo,” I told her. “I’m a friend of Aurelius Love.”

    Ser the deer here.”

    ‘I knoold me.“

    A  of reaco to escape her.

    ‘tor!“ my companion sed out. ”Get back on t!“

    t a jolt t did you say your son’s name was?”

    turned to me curiously.

    ‘It’s just— tor who worked here years ago.“

    ‘My fator.“

    I o stop to traigor… ther?”

    ‘Jo’s  ime before I ies when I was born.“

    Slo t offer of cocoa, if you don’t mind. And I’ve got someto show you.”

    I took my bookmark out of er’s diary. Karen smiled tant s eyes on to. , iff, raig a yellow  on. o ure.”

    ‘Your employer, Miss Marcom?“

    ‘Seen tom? Of course not! t retarded, I understand, so it’s tate. t of a recluse. S been back to Angelfield since tact we ors.“

    Karen stood at tove, ing for to . Be, till in it. t tle.

    I needed to be careful not to say too muc er he hall as I came in.

    ‘It’s just t I ing about tos of t the impression she recognized him.“

    “S have. Unless…”

    Sograp it again, to  room. “tom? tom, bring t picture from telpiece, he silver frame.”

    tom came in, carrying a pograper behind him.

    ‘Look,“ Karen said to  a pograph of you.“

    A smile of delig onto ?”

    ‘Yes,“ I said.

    ‘S the one of your granddad.“

    o my side of table and ure out to me, shyly.

    It ting instantly: topiary garden. taken off  in   tilting ly. trying not to squint in t. sleeves op button of   trousers ly pressed, and s for to.

    ‘as he fire?“

    Karen put table and t to drink it. “I t o time. Nearly fifteen years.”

    I looked closely ture to truck by ty h his grandson. he looked nice.

    ‘You kno man. But te. e forties  to ask tions . Kind.  no, I sometimes he feeling I never really knew him.“

    tail in tograp caught my eye.

    ‘’s this?“ I asked.

    So look. “It’s a bag. For carrying game. Ps mainly. You can open it flat on to lay ten it up around t knoure. he was never a gamekeeper, I’m sure.”

    ‘o bring t or a p o her.

    I t of Aurelius and ance. t—it  of t to t o’s faded a bit, over to look  you can see it, can’t you?” I  been able to see it, but per if it   her’s? Ambrose.

    From Karen’s  a taxi to tor’s office in Banbury. I kneing to er; no o him.

    tionist did not  to disturb Mr. Lomax . “It is Cmas Eve, you know.”

    But I insisted. “tell ’s Margaret Lea, regarding Angelfield house and Miss March.”

    it said It o t it o tell me, ratantly, to go straight in.

    t very young at all.  turned up at ing money for Joood t to ors. For years o knoity of  Miss Marced t from s and tures on ter all t he knew.

    ‘Glad to meet you, Miss Lea.  can I do to help?“

    ‘I’ve come from Angelfield. From te. they’ve found a body.“

    ‘Oh. Oh, goodness!“

    ‘ill t to speak to Miss inter, do you suppose?“

    At my mention of tly to t  be overheard.

    ‘t to speak to ty as a matter of routine.“

    ‘I t so.“ I  only is s?“

    he nodded.

    ‘—but also, er is dying.“

    interrupt.

    ‘It ter, given y and tate of er’s  receive t too abruptly. S  from a stranger. And s be alone wion reaches her.“

    ‘ do you suggest?“

    ‘I can go back to Yorksoday. If I can get to tation in t o come to contact  they?“

    ‘Yes. But I can delay time for you to get to tation, if you like.“

    At t moment telep up.

    ‘Bones? I see… Sy, yes… An elderly person and in poor er, gravely ill… Some likeli bereavement… It migter… Given tances… I o knoruste… Indeed… By all means.“

    e on a pad and pus across to me. A name and a telephone number.

    ‘o telep to let and o, alk to , it can . t seems, are not recent. Noime is your train? e should be going.“

    Seeing t I , t-so-very-young Mr. Lomax drove in silence. Nevert excitement seemed to be eating a ually, turning in to tation ale…”  suppose… ?”

    ‘I wisold him. ”I’m sorry.“

    ed face.

    As tation loomed into sigion of my own. “Do you o know Aurelius Love?”

    ‘terer! Yes, I know he man’s a culinary genius!“

    ‘how long have you known him?“

    tually, I  sch him”—

    and in tence a curious quiver entered  realized tions of my inquiry. My next question did not surprise him.

    ‘ Miss Marcer? as it her’s business?“

    ill at sco to see my fat e to sort out and,  going into confidential details, it became clear during tion t Miss Marcer  eavesdropping, you understand. t is to say, not deliberately. I able  draped and made it into a sort of tent, you see—and I didn’t  to embarrass my fat stayed quiet.”

    Miss inter old me? ts in a here are children.

    e o a stop in front of tation, and turned ricken eyes toold Aurelius. told me  of told  Miss Adeline Angelfield and Miss Vida inter he same person. I’m sorry.”

    ‘Don’t  it. It doesn’t matter now, anyway. I only wondered.“

    ‘Does sold Aurelius who she was?“

    I t about tter Miss inter  me rig t Aurelius in , seeking tory of  was decades ago. If s care.”

    the shadow cleared from his brow.

    ‘t.“

    And I ran for train.