Connor drove past Winchester and carried on going until he reached the place. Avoiding the campsite where Josh had spent his childhood, he parked up in the lane and walked down through the fields until he reached the disused church. It was unlocked because there was nothing in there to steal. He stepped inside, hearing the echoing silence and feeling the steady chilling march of centuries all around him.

Slowly he walked up the aisle, looking left and right. Creepy in here, his footsteps echoing in the darkness. It had happened here, Claire’s rape – that’s what Suki had told him. He paused at the top of the aisle and looked down at the grave she had told him about, the one in front of the altar. The inscription read:

HERE LIES POLLY JAMES

FIANCÉE OF WILLIAM CODY

1745-1762

Died of the fever on the night before her wedding.

MAY SHE REST ETERNAL

Something Old

Something New

Something Borrowed

Something Blue

He stood there and stared at it for a long time, then he turned and walked back outside, closing the door behind him.

155

155

Aysha opened the door at Benedict’s place to find Connor standing on the doorstep.

‘Oh! It’s you,’ she said, her face falling. She turned without another word and led the way back into the lounge. Benedict looked up from the sofa. Then the phone started ringing.

‘I’ll get it,’ he said.

‘So what do you want?’ said Aysha.

‘Don’t be like that, Aysh. I saved your bloody bacon. You ought to be grateful.’

‘I should have done it.’

‘For what? Mum was pushing your buttons, that’s all. You can’t alter history, Aysh. I know it’s hard for you to hear, but if he’d lived, Dad was going to divorce Mum and marry Claire. Look – he was our dad and we both loved him. D’you really think he’d want harm coming to her? Or her daughter? Do you?’

She stared at him, arms folded. ‘She told me he’d never loved me.’

‘Well, I think he did. She was being a bitch, that’s what she does best. She was manipulating you into doing something fucking stupid, and you fell for it. Just be glad you didn’t do it and fuck yourself up for good.’

‘I wanted to kill that—’

‘I know. But you didn’t. That’s what counts. Come on, Aysh. Let’s not fall out. I need your help.’

Benedict came back into the room, pulling on his jacket. ‘Going out.’ He kissed Aysha’s cheek, flashed a grin at Connor. ‘See you both later.’

When the door closed after Benedict, Connor looked at the window. In a little over an hour, it would be full dark.