‘Why not? Unless the police are after you, it would be safe enough. Ordinary people can’t just track you by your card – or your phone, come to that.’

‘Before long, my people at home will ask the police to find me.’

‘So? Are you hiding from them as well?’

‘That remains to be seen.’

Thea was flooded with a mixture of frustration and excitement. It was turning into a veritable James Bond adventure. She imagined helicopters appearing out of nowhere, or perhaps a malign drone, filming them and 45then dropping a bomb on them. She had seen Eye in the Sky and knew what was possible.

They finally reached the road after what felt like an epic trek worthy of Doctor Livingstone, and turned left. ‘It’s about half a mile down here,’ said Thea, peering again at the map. ‘Maybe a bit more. Can you manage that?’

‘If a car comes, I will have to hide.’ They both eyed the barely existing verge and the thick summer hedge above it.

‘That might be difficult.’

‘Perhaps if we walk close together, they will not think … we will not seem remarkable.’

‘If we hear a car, we can pretend to be picking flowers,’ Thea suggested, before adding, ‘Except you’re not supposed to do that these days. They might stop and harangue us about it.’

‘“Harangue”? What does that mean?’

‘It means giving a bossy sort of lecture. Sorry – it’s a favourite word of my mother’s. She says my brother does it all the time. It’s true. He does.’

‘Does your mother live here? And your brother?’ She looked around as if expecting relatives to jump over a hedge at them. ‘Do you have a husband?’ The woman eyed Thea’s wedding ring. Thea noted that Grace’s hand had no matching adornment.

‘No, no. My family are miles away. Yes, I do have a husband, but he’s quite a distance, as well. I don’t know anybody here. I’ve almost never been here before – just Bibury once or twice. I had no idea that business park existed, for a start. I was very surprised to find it.’46

‘And I did not expect to be brought here, either.’

‘It’s a long way from Manchester. I still can’t really understand what happened. Did they tie you up, or what? Couldn’t you have attracted attention somehow, and got somebody to notice you were in need of help?’

Grace gave her a long serious look. ‘You sound as if you think this is just a game,’ she reproached.

‘Sorry. I suppose I do. It’s difficult not to, actually. I mean – none of this feels very real. Even your dislocated shoulder is nowhere near as bad as you said. You haven’t told me anything that sounds true. And I can tell you I’ve been involved in some very bizarre happenings not a million miles from here. People have died. Terrible crimes have been committed. And none of that was remotely as weird as what you’ve been saying. I still can’t really believe the things you’ve told me.’ She paused, conscious of the hostility behind her words. It had been a defensive reaction to Grace’s accusation of flippancy. And she was annoyed at the withholding of any real information. ‘And if you won’t tell me anything, then that really does feel as if you’re playing a game with me.’