‘Watching my waistline anyway,’ he said, both hands jiggling his belly. He had put a bit of weight on, Tina noted. But she refrained from saying.

‘Look good to me, Pat,’ she said, instead.

‘Okay, so you have me to yourself in an almost-abandoned park. If we aren’t having a picnic and we’re not engaging in an affair—’ he winked at her ‘—then what have you asked me here for?’

Tina sighed. ‘I’m worried, actually, Pat. About a certain person in Mapledon.’

‘Oh, let me stop you there, Tina.’ He put his palms up. ‘I’m not going fishing around making trouble for someone who should just be left alone to get on with his life.’ He turned and began walking away from her.

Damn. Tina hadn’t expected him to already know who she was referring to, much less walk away without even listening to her.

‘Wait, Pat. Please wait!’ She ran after him, grabbing his arm. ‘It’s not some whim, nor is it a witch-hunt – I know what the village men call us behind our backs, you know. It’s for the safety of our kids. For Jonie, her friends. Your Daisy. Don’t you want them to be safe in their own village – the one we grew up in happily with not a care in the world? That’s all I want for them, too.’

Pat blew out a long breath. ‘He’s just lost his wife, Tina. Yes, he’s a little … odd. But it’s not his fault the kids are drawn to him and play those god-awful Knock, Knock games on his property. It’s not like he’s the one seeking out trouble, is it? He’s in his own bungalow minding his own business. I think it’s the parents of those unruly kids who should be teaching their offspring some manners and respect. Don’t you?’ Pat’s face was beetroot red.

Of course, he did have a fair point. But kids would be kids. They didn’t see the harm, couldn’t foresee any danger in what they were doing. Hadn’t they played those games too when they were growing up?

‘Come on, Pat. We’re not so old as to not remember the shit we got up to. What they do is pretty harmless—’

‘It’s trespass, actually, Tina.’

‘Okay, I understand where you’re coming from. And I will make sure I disseminate that at the Mapledon Meeting next week, even though I don’t want to go – they are getting so tedious. But, in the meantime, please could you just run a quick search, see if anything comes up. He hasn’t lived here long enough for us to know him, and the fact he was an outsider is making everyone uncomfortable when it comes to letting our kids roam freely. Especially given the way his daughter is. Something isn’t quite … well, right. You understand their … my concern, don’t you?’

‘I do, of course I do.’ His voice softened. Tina knew she had him now.

‘You’re a good man, Pat. I’m glad we have you. I’m really grateful for anything you can manage – I know it’s not something you feel comfortable doing, but if you have suspicions, you do need to act on them. How bad would you feel if something happened to one of our own?’