Crushed beneath the woman’s head was a pair of feet, bare, save for a silver toe ring and pale pink nail polish, and there was an arm, too, the hand lying palm up on the grass as though she were reaching for help, or beckoning for someone to join her. Incongruously Beverly could also see the sleeve of a red jacket, the wide buttons on the cuff dotted with beads of moisture. It was all crammed in so tight that she couldn’t see the colour of the woman’s hair or anything of her torso, if indeed that was in there with her, but she could see a soft wall of purplish rope-like things, falling softly to either side of the arm. In the bark above the hollow, a heart had been scratched; some pining lover’s romantic gesture, no doubt.

Suddenly aware she was very close to passing out, Beverly stumbled away from the tree and began to run back to the house, her face wet with tears.

4

‘This place was always a shithole.’

Heather settled the two glasses on the table and dropped three packets of crisps next to them. Nikki picked up a packet of salt and vinegar and peered at it critically.

‘You chose it,’ Nikki pointed out mildly. She looked, annoyingly, much as she always had. Her hair was in neat black braids and her glasses were slimmer, more fashionable versions of those she had worn in school. She was even wearing a chunky knitted navy jumper, reminding Heather inevitably of their old school uniform. ‘I know Balesford isn’t heaving with trendy spots, but I suspect we could have managed better than Wetherspoons.’

‘Oh, for old times’ sake.’ Heather took a sip of her drink and grimaced. Once at the bar she had fallen back into old habits and ended up with a dark rum and Coke – the drink she most associated with school. Nikki had ordered a white-wine spritzer, although she seemed more interested in the crisps. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t let you know earlier that I was back in the area, but … everything has been such a mess. How did you know I was back, anyway? Do you have spies watching the house? Are you with MI5 now, is that it?’

Nikki shook her head, smiling. ‘My auntie lives on your road, you know that. And she basically is the MI5 of Balesford. They were all waiting for you to turn up, once Mr Ramsey had told everyone you didn’t so much as have a set of your mum’s keys.’ Nikki’s smile faltered. ‘I’m sorry, Hev. Really sorry. How bloody awful. Are you all right?’