It had surprised no one when Kathleen left Monk’s Wood to Alex in her will.

Why had Ursula arranged to see Alex during the week before her death? Molly wondered. Had she gone to Monk’s Wood? Perhaps it was a regular social contact, replacing the visits to Kathleen Prime. If so she would hardly have noted it on the calendar.

Perhaps she was clutching at straws, Molly thought, in her attempt to justify her position as George’s partner, but she really believed the visit might be significant.

When Danny Craven left the Lodge he did not go immediately to fetch the van from the pub. He would not be bullied by someone like Vic Liddle. It could wait until later, until the pub was open and he could have a pint in the bar after the walk. He went instead straight on to the hill, thinking that the fresh air would clear his head. He had plenty to consider. The whole thing had seemed so simple when he had planned it. Now there were complications and he wondered if he should give up. On the hill, he thought he would come to a decision more easily. The weather was bright, with a strong wind from the south-west which blew shadows of clouds across the heather and straight into his face.

As he approached the land behind Back Rigg he saw a tall, elderly man walking backwards and forwards across the hill, his head stooped and a stick in his head to clear the long grass. The man must have caught sight of him against the horizon because he stood up and waited as if he expected Craven to approach him. Perhaps that was what he wanted. If so he was disappointed because while he was still too far away to speak Craven raised his hand in friendly greeting and turned away to walk back to the road.

So, Craven thought. Perhaps things were still going according to plan after all.

George, who had expected confrontation, questions about what he was doing there, watched him go. He considered chasing after the man, but he was young and fit and could easily outpace George if he wanted to.

When he reached the road, Craven walked down the hill to Keeper’s Cottage to collect a spare set of van keys from Vic Liddle. His arrival coincided with the ambulance and Liddle was so preoccupied in seeing the girl off that he handed over the keys without a fuss. With a new sense of optimism Craven walked on over the dam and around the lake to the Crowford Hotel.

The landlord must have seen him coming up the drive because he was waiting for him at the door.

‘The bar’s not open yet,’ he said sharply, expecting trouble. ‘And your van’s round the back where you left it.’