‘No. We keep putting it off. We can’t agree on what we want. She wants a huge do. Top hats and all that. I’d rather something a bit less flash. Your dad said we could have a marquee at the farm, which was decent of him, but Teresa wants a hotel.’ He shrugged. ‘I’m sure we’ll get there in the end.’

‘I’m sure you will,’ Pip replied, closing the subject down. She didn’t want to hear about Jez and his happiness any more than she had to. ‘So, tell me everything you know about the Mountcastles,’ she said.

Jez narrowed his eyes, scrutinising her steadily. ‘Are you going to tell me why you want to know?’

‘Nope,’ she said.

He tutted. ‘You always did like to be mysterious,’ he said. ‘Well, I don’t know much more than I told you the other day. There were two of them, sisters. They lived together in a house on the prom. Mum used to clean for them. Then one of them died, took a fall apparently. I’m not sure which one, but the rumour was that one of them had pushed the other down the stairs. Then the one that wasn’t dead sacked Mum. Accused her of nicking something when she hadn’t. Or maybe that happened the other way around. I’m not sure. It was years ago, long before we were even born, but Mum’s still going on about it now. She said that even though everyone knew that she’d never steal, it still left a stain on her reputation. Every time we went past the house, she’d start up again about how unfair it all was.’

‘Can you remember which house?’ Pip asked hopefully.

‘Of course I can. I still can’t walk past without spitting on the door.’ Pip’s jaw dropped, but Jez’s face cracked into a grin again. ‘Not literally. But Jack and I did used to spit at the house when we were lads. We made sure no one saw, though. We reckoned if the woman was a murderer, then we’d better not let her catch us.’ Pip began laughing at him and Jez, playing to his audience, continued. ‘We used to make up stories about her being a witch. Stupid really. I’m sure the woman did no wrong. I mean, if she really had killed her sister, then the police would have arrested her and she’d have gone down for it.’

‘And you don’t know which one died?’ Pip asked.

Jez shook his head.

‘But the other one is still there, in the house?’

‘As far as I know. The place doesn’t look any different.’

Something was ringing a bell in the very depths of Pip’s memory. ‘I think I remember something about a witch,’ she said vaguely. ‘God, kids can be horrible. It’s just like Boo Radley.’

Jez looked at her blankly.