One of the firemen had come over. ‘Well, they’re going to have to be quick about it. If it were up to me, I’d fill in that hole immediately. It’s a public hazard and we’re not leaving it like that. There’ll be children swarming all over it, given half a chance.’

‘I’ll phone them straight away.’

By then offices would be open, so he got on his phone and his call was passed through three people, each assuring him that this could be important but that it must be dealt with at a higher level.

As he waited he watched the fire and rescue officer station a guard at the hole, and heard the sergeant muttering about ‘damned bureaucracies’.

He’d second that curse, he thought as a fourth person came on the phone and made Angus repeat his explanation of why he was calling. But this one didn’t pass him on and seemed very excited indeed about the tunnel.

‘Don’t let them touch it, and especially don’t let them try to go along it. I’ll have some of our special curators there within the hour.’

One by one the various officials left, except for the man left on duty at the hole. Stacy yawned. ‘I need to lie down.’

‘We should have got permission for you to go into your house sooner.’

She grinned at Adam. ‘I couldn’t have borne to leave the scene till the excitement was over. At least it doesn’t seem to have touched my house.’

He looked at his watch. ‘Well, you go and have a snooze and I’ll pick Gemma up.’

‘My main desire is to feed my face,’ Angus said. ‘I’m ravenous. Come on, Nell. There’s a man on duty and they’ve put temporary barriers round it. When the heritage people arrive, they can phone me and we’ll come back down to join them.’

As they walked back, he put his arm round her. ‘There’s always something going on in Peppercorn Street, isn’t there?’

‘And in the town. We’ve still to deal with the council’s involvement and attempts at demolition orders. I wonder what they’ll say about this?’

‘Whatever they say, I’ll deal with them better on a full stomach.’

Two of the police officers went to Raff’s home.

The woman who opened the door scowled the minute she saw them.

‘Sorry to trouble you, Mrs Smales, but can we speak to your son, please?’

‘What’s Raff done this time?’

‘We’re not sure but he was seen running away from an incident, so we need to interview him.’

‘Well, he’s a legal adult now, so he can damned well deal with this on his own. I told him: if he gets into trouble again, he can go and find somewhere else to live. I don’t want criminals living in my house and police knocking on the door at any hour of the day or night.’ She turned and yelled, ‘Raff! You’re wanted.’

There was no reply.

She called again, with the same result, then shrugged. ‘You can come through and check but I bet he’s skipped out through the back.’