At first Jane let the women walk ahead of them and spoke to Holly herself. ‘Have you met Peter Gruskin before?’

Holly nodded. She’d thought she would be the one to ask the questions. She felt that she was being dragged along by this assertive woman and had the sense that she was losing control of the situation.

‘What did you make of him?’

Holly hesitated. She could hardly gossip about other witnesses.

Jane didn’t wait and answered her own question. ‘He’s a horrible man. The last priest was lovely. Gentle, and the women liked him. Peter finds us incomprehensible. He’s anxious that the press will pick up the Haven connection between Margaret and Dee. Is that likely, do you think? He would rather that we just went away.’

‘I don’t know. We haven’t said anything.’ They were walking along a footpath that skirted the edge of a bare field. A small flock of brightly coloured finches fed on dead thistle heads.

‘What’s it like working for Vera Stanhope?’ Jane sounded amused.

Holly paused, torn between loyalty and a desire to let off steam. In the end she restrained herself. ‘Interesting,’ she said. ‘Inspector Stanhope is a fine detective.’

Jane chuckled and Holly walked ahead to talk to the women. This route-march might be the only opportunity she’d have, and she had to get something to take back to Vera.

At first Emily had nothing useful to say. She was preoccupied with the prospect of getting home for Christmas. ‘My mother thinks it might work this time. We’ve talked about my going back to school to retake my A levels.’ The voice wistful and not very optimistic.

‘Where do you go to school?’

‘St Anne’s in town, but Mummy thinks I might be better at the local comp. Less stress. I’m not sure, though. I think that might be a bit scary. I’ve never been at a school where there were boys.’ She blinked and was quiet for a while. Holly thought this fragile young woman would never survive for a week in a big high school. Her parents had saved hard for her to go private. ‘Margaret was going to come and visit, to see how I was getting on,’ Emily said. She turned to Holly and her voice was pleading. Perhaps she saw Holly as a substitute saviour.

‘Did you know Dee Robson?’