‘You strike me as someone who sees the best in everyone, and I appreciate your kindness, but I’m not sure I deserve it. I haven’t behaved as well as I could have. I’m sorry.’

‘You don’t have to apologize,’ Hannah said. ‘I’ve learnt so much from you, and besides, nobody can be upbeat all the time. Life has a habit of throwing unexpected things our way.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Oh bugger.’

‘What is it?’

‘Eleven thirty-two. We missed Anna – or the fisherman. Whoever’s making the footsteps.’ The lights in reception were low, Daniel still on his perimeter walk.

‘We might hear something if we sit here for long enough,’ Noah said. ‘I don’t expect many people use this room in the middle of the night. One of the ghosts could be waiting to reach a chilled finger out from behind the curtain, or blow air on the back of our necks, or materialize as a shadowy, indistinct figure in the corner.’ He pointed to the darkest part of the room, and Hannah shuddered.

‘Oh my God.’

‘What?’ Noah whispered. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve seen something. If you have, I’d be inclined to say it’s the power of suggestion.’

‘No, but you are so good at being creepy. Do you really think we might have a ghostly encounter?’

‘There’s only one way to find out.’ He took his phone out of his pocket, and Hannah saw that his screen was full of WhatsApp notifications – from Beth? – but he cleared it without reading them, then opened the voice recorder and put the phone on the table in front of them.

‘Is that going to pick them up?’ Hannah asked, resisting the urge to giggle.

‘Maybe,’ Noah said. ‘Now, we have to be as still and quiet as possible. Get comfy.’

Hannah did as she was told, sitting cross-legged on the cushioned bench. She was bubbling with anticipation, but trying her best not to show it. Anna and her fisherman might not make an appearance, but Hannah was going to enjoy every moment of sitting here with Noah, the brandy making her glow from the inside out, every sense heightened. Even though, now, she knew nothing could happen between them, she couldn’t bring herself to go to bed. They were still working together after all, so it wasn’t as if she could avoid seeing him altogether. What was wrong with spending a little down time with him? She tried not to listen to the voice inside her head telling her that was a very dangerous thought indeed.

Chapter Three

The first thing Hannah was aware of was a sharp pain in her neck, which was unusual, because the bed in her hotel room was as soft as clouds. She shifted, trying to get comfortable, and realized she was in a particularly awkward position. She frowned, still not ready to open her eyes, and then something finger-like touched her hair. Ghosts, she thought, and sat up abruptly, the top of her head connecting with something solid and, it seemed, with pain receptors.