Mark told him to drive westwards out of Edendale until they left the street lamps behind and there was only the reflection of the Toyota’s headlights from the Catseyes in the road and from the rain that drifted across the bonnet. Two miles out of town they turned and headed uphill until they were rising through the dark, dripping fringes of Eden Forest. They saw few cars on the road and passed even fewer houses – just the occasional farmstead wrapped in its own little bowl of protective light.

‘Where are we going?’ asked Cooper.

‘Not far now.’

After a few more minutes, Mark directed him off the road. Cooper found they were in a gravel car park with litter bins and a map in a glass case pointing out the major features of the view that must lie somewhere out there in the darkness. He turned the Toyota round so that it was pointing back towards the road.

‘Well?’

Mark hesitated. Cooper knew better than to try to push him. It was better to let him take his time, now that they had come all this way. Gradually, his eyes started adjusting to the darkness. There were faint strings of light floating in mid-air in front of him, marking a hamlet or a village on a hillside across the valley. Then the hills themselves began to come into focus, black humps against the sky. Directly ahead, he had the sensation of a steep drop into a vast hole in the darkness.

Eventually, Mark felt the moment was right.

‘You know I told you this morning about something going on at Ringham Edge Farm.’

‘The big shed,’ said Cooper. ‘Vehicles arriving at night.’

‘That’s right.’

‘We haven’t had a chance to look into it, Mark. We’ve all had a lot of other things on our minds. You’ll just have to wait. Give us time.’

‘I know, I know.’

‘It will probably turn out to be nothing, anyway.’

Mark chewed his lip. The rain was beginning to obscure the Toyota’s windscreen. Cooper turned on the wipers to clear it, so that they could see the car park. There were no other vehicles, not even passing on the road. He almost turned the ignition on to drive back to Edendale, disappointed in what Mark had brought him out here to say. But something held him back.

‘There’s more to it than that,’ said Mark. ‘Things I haven’t told you.’

Suddenly, Cooper felt that old surge of excitement rising through his chest, leaving him short of breath. ‘Mark? What are you talking about?’

‘Dogs,’ said Mark.

‘What?’

‘I think it might be dog-fighting.’

‘You’re joking. Does that still go on?’