“It’s not just the money, though obviously that’s a major consideration. It’s the goodwill. The Clarion’s my major source of income right now, and if I don’t keep up my availability for shifts, they’ll find someone else. There are plenty of hungry freelancers around ready to snap up the holes in the Clarion shift rota. Also, I think I’ve got a strong chance of getting the next full-time staff job that comes along, and I can’t pretend that I wouldn’t jump at the chance. So far as this business is concerned, after Tuesday night I’m back on part-time only. Which makes me feel a bit of a shit.”

“That gives us four whole days. We’ll see how we get on, and maybe the Clarion will give you more time if you need it. Don’t despair yet. I’m sure we can do it. We’ve got to.”

Later, back at their hotel, Lindsay lay awake, listening to the deep breathing that signaled Cordelia’s quick drift into sleep. The endless searchings of her restless mind would not let her drop off. She knew that somewhere there was a key that would unlock the closed book of Lorna’s death. But the more she wrestled to find it, the more frustrated she became. After an hour’s fitful turning and tossing, she slipped out of bed.

Moving softly, she dressed in jeans and a warm sweater. She searched in her bag till she found Paddy’s bunch of keys. Then, by the moonlight, she wrote a note for Cordelia:

If I’m not here when you wake up, I’ll be up at the school, probably in Paddy’s rooms. Come up and get me in the car. Keys inside the boot. Love you dearly. Lindsay.

She propped the note up against Cordelia’s alarm clock and quietly closed the door behind her. She crept downstairs and out into the car park. At the car, she unlocked the boot and took out the heavy walking boots and windproof jacket that she always kept there. She slipped the jacket on, then swapped her trainers for the boots. Finally, she pocketed the Ordnance Survey map, dropped the keys into the boot, closed it, and set off.