She called Drew, once she’d tracked her mobile to the pocket of her light jacket, slung over the back of a chair. His first words made her feel that things were even 57more complicated than before. ‘Gladwin called at five with a message for you. She couldn’t get you to answer your own phone – as usual. She says there are two new investigations since yesterday, and she won’t have time to come and see you. She won’t even be able to talk to you, the way things are going. And she’s sorry.’

‘That’s the way it goes in her job,’ said Thea, both philosophical and anxious at the same time.

‘So – how’s it going with you? Are you missing me? Us?’

‘I am. It all feels a bit silly, actually. But I’m committed now. It’s awkward not having a car.’

‘I could bring you a box of food. You didn’t take much this morning.’

‘I might hold you to that, on Monday or Tuesday. I might equally well have something worked out by then. It’s not very far to Bibury, and there’s a shop there. I should have had the sense to borrow a bike from someone.’

‘You might even bite the bullet and sign up with Tesco for home deliveries,’ he said lightly. ‘Stephanie would be proud of you.’

‘I will if I’m desperate,’ she said, knowing the chances were extremely small.

‘We haven’t got used to managing without you yet,’ Drew said forlornly. ‘We’ve all got embarrassingly dependent.’

‘You’re trying to tell me I’m doing something therapeutic, are you? Something that’s going to be good for you.’

‘I’m trying to tell myself that. But it doesn’t feel right. 58It’s never going to feel right. I thought you’d finished with house-sitting for ever. It’s weird to have you revert to your old self.’

‘I haven’t done that. Maybe I just needed this last one to get it out of my system. I’m remembering how glad I was to give it up – how boring it can be. Except when things happen.’

‘And things always do happen. That’s probably what scares me most.’

She swallowed hard. How was she going to avoid telling him about Grace? How could she tell such a large lie by omission? There was no possible justification for keeping it from him, other than knowing that a secret was only a secret if nobody talked about it. ‘Well, this is only the first day. I’m determined to do some sketching. It’s been on my to-do list for ages. I was good at drawing at school. And there’s so much material around here.’

‘Good,’ he said listlessly.

‘How’s Hepzie?’

‘Miserable.’

‘Oh dear.’ Thea felt an echoing misery on behalf of her abandoned pet.

‘She’ll survive. It’s not the first time.’

‘She thinks it is. She’s forgotten last year.’

‘We’ll take her for long walks and wear her out.’ He coughed briefly. ‘Tim says she’s got to go to the poodle parlour. Her lumps are a disgrace.’