“You shouldn’t be walking,” she said. “ I thought you could do with a lift.”

“Nonsense. Fresh air and exercise is good for concussion. You’re afraid of missing something.”

“It’s not that,” she said. “I didn’t want anything else to happen to you. At the beginning I thought you were just a crank, and that Mary’s death was an accident. Then Robert died and the police were here with their questions and you seemed to know so much more than them. Then when I found you last night, I thought you were dead, too. It was horrible.”

Has it come to this? he thought. A girl younger than my daughter thinks that she can protect me! But he said nothing. He got into the car and told her where to go.

“Do you want me to stay in the car?” she asked when they arrived.

“Would you prefer that?”

“No.”

“Come on in then. It might be useful to have a witness.”

He was glad that she was there.

They sat in the kitchen at Kell, much as they had done on their previous visit. Melissa had changed into her best dress for church, but she made tea for them. James watched her with anxious, protective eyes. He had put on the jacket of his suit, and when they came in he looked at his watch. He did not want to be late for the service.

George slowly took the green silk scarf from his pocket and laid it on the table. He touched it carefully, laid it out so that they would see the pattern and the colours. James’ eyes seemed drawn to it, but he looked at his watch again.

“Last time I came,” George said, “I asked you about this scarf. You had no opportunity to answer then. I’ll ask you again. Did you see it after Mary died?”

He spoke to James. There was silence. The window was open and they could hear the hens in the yard outside. They were looking at James and it came as a shock when Melissa spoke.

“You’ll have to tell them, James.”

He looked at her, unsure, upset. He looked very distinguished, Sarah thought. A small, trim man with grey hair and a dark suit. He could have been a judge or a retired admiral.

“I don’t want any more lies,” Melissa said. She seemed relieved to be speaking, completely relaxed. “ He found it in my things. He never talked about it, but he took it away. I thought perhaps he’d burnt it. Then you brought it back here. I thought you must know what had happened. I was afraid even that James had taken the scarf to you and told you where he found it, but I should have known better than that. Since then I’ve been waiting for you to come again. I’m glad that it’s over.”