‘Don’t forget, you’ve also bought that steam punk gadget. I wonder what Matt will value it at.’

‘At least double what she was asking, I should think. It’ll be interesting to find out.’

‘We’ll manage somehow,’ she said.

‘That’s what I’m telling myself.’

‘Fate seems to be nudging us along in this. I wonder what will happen next?’

They both fell silent, looking thoughtful, then he shrugged. ‘What will be, will be. I just hope we don’t get any more intruders.’

‘Or pushy developers. Do you think Dorling will try something else, Angus?’

‘Bound to.’

‘Yes, that’s what I think, too. Damn the man!’

Chapter Twenty-Three

Darren Cooke had tried everything he could think of to find his ex-wife. Stacy wasn’t going to get away with refusing to take him back. He’d taught her a lesson or two when they were together and she’d learnt to do what he wanted.

Unlike the woman he’d left her for. She had run away one day while he was at work. But she wasn’t worth fetching back. She was far less capable in the house than Stacy had been, not even a good cook. He’d been wrong to break up his marriage, but he was going to put it all together again.

He’d be sweetness and light at first, because women were suckers for that approach, but if he had to teach Stacy a few new lessons to bring her into line later on, he would. Apart from anything else, he’d got drunk one night and boasted to his friends that he’d get her back, that he wasn’t going to let her make a fool of him.

He shouldn’t have boasted, because it made it even more important to prove he could get control of her again.

He found out quite easily where her parents had moved to, but he knew better than to approach them directly. It was partly their fault his marriage had broken up. They’d never made him feel like part of the family, had always undermined him.

None of their neighbours had seen Stacy visiting them, either, he found from seemingly casual chats. And though he kept watch on the Walshes’ house a couple of weekends, he saw no sign of her or of them going to visit her.

Then he was shocked rigid to be sacked from his job. Because of poor attendance and lack of productivity, they said. Well, to hell with them. He’d soon find another job. He always did. But that was the final straw. It was her fault, making him careless because he was worrying. Things would fall into place again once he got her back.

He had to think his plans through more carefully before he did anything else from now on. He was pretty sure Stacy wouldn’t have moved too far away. He’d bet anything you liked that she’d still be within driving distance of her parents.

He was pretty sure she would have gone back to working on that rubbishy art of hers, too. She was obsessed by it. As if anyone could make a living from welding bits of scrap metal together! So he started searching online for articles on art or events where she might be selling things.