‘Hi there,’ she said, smiling widely. ‘We’re just warming up inside, why don’t you join us? I saw a coffee pot on the go, though admittedly, I think that’s about it for non-alcoholic offerings. You must be freezing,’ she said.

‘It’s all right, ma’am, I’m happy to wait. I knock off at two in the morning and I want to get you back to Penrith safe,’ he smiled. He must have been in his twenties. She’d never seen his face before, though he could have been pulled from any station in the national park. The county and surrounding areas had pulled together this afternoon and they should all be proud of themselves. She’d write it up in her report, and she knew that the chief constable would share her pride.

‘We won’t be long,’ she said, and left him to go back inside. Tiredness hit her like a wall, and she yawned. She went back to the fire, where there was quite a crowd around the heroes now. She noticed that Glynn and Johnny had refilled glasses.

‘Sorry to be a party pooper, but we’ll need to get going. Glynn, where can we drop you?’

‘I’ll ha’ none of it,’ the landlord said. ‘The Goat is staying here, I’ve just had beds made up. You’re both welcome, too.’ He looked at Johnny, who shrugged.

‘I’m just about whacked. I think I’ll stay,’ he said to Kelly. He looked at her and she recognised the desire behind his eyes. It took her by surprise. She’d missed his body in her bed, there was no doubt about that, but she also knew that it wouldn’t be right to go to that place so soon after the ice between them had started thawing – if indeed it had at all. Disasters had a terrible habit of making people fall in love, even if they’d fallen out of it very recently. But then, she wasn’t sure if she had.

‘Well, it’s a lovely offer, but I’m afraid I’m needed early in the office tomorrow.’ She used a convenient truth. It would have been easy to stay, and argue that she should be here to survey the site tomorrow. After all, she had no idea when the AAIB would get here. However, she also knew that to jump into Johnny’s arms now would be its own disaster. Besides, she missed Lizzie. She’d already spoken to Millie, who’d assured her that she could stay the night and not to worry about what time she made it home, but Kelly was itching to get back.

Glynn stood up. Somebody had lent him a thick jumper and it would have looked comical over shorts on anyone else, but he somehow managed to make it look natural.