‘The skeleton of an animal wouldn’t have delayed anything,’ said Fry. ‘You knew it was human.’

‘History,’ he said. ‘They send in the scientists. They don’t let you build for weeks, for months.’

‘You’re saying you thought the discovery would involve archaeologists coming here to dig up an ancient graveyard?’

‘Yes, exactly.’

Fry could see the second body tent in the background. The thought of an entire graveyard at Pity Wood Farm made her skin go cold.

‘But this isn’t history, Mr Dudzik.’

‘I’m sorry. We thought we were doing the right thing.’

‘Jamie Ward seems to be the only one who wasn’t let in on it.’

‘No, we didn’t trust him. He was different, he would want to speak to the authorities.’

‘Thank goodness he was around. He was the one who did the right thing.’

Fry sighed. It was still too late, wasn’t it? The grave had already been disturbed, and crucial evidence could have been lost.

‘Am I in trouble, Sergeant?’ asked Dudzik, anxious now to get away.

She looked at him thoughtfully.

‘We could sort it out, if you’re co-operative, sir.’

‘Anything I can do to help. I’m at your disposal.’

‘Your workmen – they must sometimes pick up small items for themselves. Things they find, that look as though they aren’t wanted by anyone.’

‘Ah, yes. They do like these old places, particularly. Sometimes they find little bits of treasure.’

‘I’m looking for a specific bit of treasure.’

‘Oh?’

Fry told him about the broken cross that Jamie Ward had dug out of the first grave, which hadn’t turned up in the skip with the rest of the debris. He’d described it as a cheap crucifix on a chain, with part of the base chipped away.

‘Whoever has it, Mr Dudzik, I want it returned,’ she said.

Dudzik pulled his cap back on.

‘Leave it with me, Sergeant,’ he said. ‘I’ll find it for you.’

When he finally got back to his desk in Edendale, Cooper took a return call from his contact in Norfolk, where the horticulture business was totally reliant on transient workers.

‘You don’t need as much accommodation for illegals as you might think, Ben,’ he said. ‘Most gang masters practise a hot-bedding system.’

‘Two men sharing the same bed, working and sleeping in shifts?’

‘Right. It’s incredibly difficult and time consuming to check them all for forged documents. Some are very good forgeries, in any case. There’s nothing special about those IND documents they’re supposed to produce for employers.’

‘Hold on – IND? It’s a Home Office department, I know, but I don’t have my acronym dictionary to hand.’

‘Immigration and Nationality Directorate.’

‘Right.’