She felt a warm pressure on her ankle – her feet were still up on the bench – and thought it was the dog, but when she looked it was Noah’s hand. Her heartbeat thudded double time. What was he doing?

‘You OK?’ he asked gently.

She nodded, and slid her feet off the bench. ‘It’s just so sad. Anna still wandering around here, unable to get back to her fisherman or be at peace.’ She turned to Audrey. ‘This is heartbreaking. Are you going to try and communicate with her? See why she can’t let go?’

‘I’m hoping to. Daniel has agreed to me running an investigation while I’m here. And through his research, Richard also discovered that, while some of the paranormal occurrences lean towards it being Anna Purser, who met her end on these cliffs or in the hotel, our lovelorn fisherman is also reputedly still around.’

‘Hang on,’ Noah said, frowning. ‘What do you mean, Anna might have died in the hotel? Wasn’t she washed up on the beach?’

‘Yes.’ Audrey held up a finger. ‘But there was speculation that Edward had killed her in the hotel after discovering her affair, then thrown her off the cliff to cover it up. A body damaged by rocks and tides could certainly disguise the battering of fists.’

There was silence while Hannah and Noah took it in.

‘Does Daniel know all this?’ Hannah asked. ‘He must have been upset by it.’

‘It’s a very sad chapter in Porthgolow’s history,’ Audrey said, ‘but it’s all in the past, Hannah. It won’t do you any good to take on Anna’s pain. I will tell her story as best I can.’

‘When are you running your investigation?’ Noah asked.

‘In the next couple of days,’ Audrey said. ‘I’m waiting for Daniel to confirm it. Of course, the storm might disrupt things: he has to put the welfare of his guests first. I will need a couple of additional people to cover certain areas of the hotel, and Daniel has said he’ll find me some. If either of you are still here, you’re very welcome to help. Excuse me a moment, will you?’ She got up and strode out to reception.

Hannah stared at the brandy in her glass. She felt a heavy sadness for Anna’s tragic life and, selfishly, it mingled with her own. She had only one night left in Cornwall after tonight, so she wouldn’t be able to take Audrey up on her offer. She would go home to twinkly, busy Edinburgh, her friends’ Christmas, Saskia and Seth, Mike and her mum. So why didn’t the thought of leaving the hotel and getting on the train on Saturday morning fill her with delight? She pictured Noah going home to beautiful Beth, to his fishing village and his parents and his dogs, and swallowed down a sigh.

‘There’s no chance of you extending your stay, I suppose?’ Noah turned towards her, holding the sleeping dog on his lap so it didn’t fall off.