‘He was my colleague. This is all his – the book, the research. I’m simply picking up where he left off. He wouldn’t have wanted it left languishing, I’m sure of that.’

‘He wasn’t able to complete it himself?’ Hannah could tell what was coming, and hoped she was being sensitive enough.

‘No.’ Audrey took a sip of her wine. ‘No, he died. It wasn’t unexpected – he’d been ill for a while – but it was still a shock. I decided that the worst thing would be for his book to go unfinished. Of course, when you die lots of things do get left undone, you can’t tie everything up in a neat bow, but this was the one thing – something that was very important to him – that I could do.’

‘It’s very generous of you,’ Noah said. ‘I’m sure Richard would appreciate it.’

‘I’m fascinated myself,’ Audrey went on. ‘That’s why I was happy to be his associate, to help him with his paranormal interests alongside my more mainstream work. It feels right that this book is completed.’ The lamp in the corner of the room flickered as a violent gust of wind rattled the window.

Hannah glanced at Noah, only to find he was already looking at her, a hint of a smile on his lips. Was he silently asking her the same thing: Did the storm do that, or was it the ghosts?

Hannah looked away, bending down to unzip her boots. She pulled them off and tucked her legs up beneath her. ‘Do you have any idea who the ghosts might be?’ she asked. ‘Who’s still haunting this place, even though it’s Crystal Waters and not the Clifftop Hotel?’ This was what she wanted: the classic, whispered ghost story, full of death and heartbreak, that would thrill her to her core.

‘I’ve got Richard’s original research,’ Audrey said. ‘It’s actually very detailed, so I know some of the history of the Clifftop Hotel and who could be lingering.’ She looked first at Hannah, then Noah, prolonging the silence until it became unbearable.

‘And?’ Noah asked, a fraction before Hannah did. They exchanged another glance.

‘It was one of those tragic love stories, as it so often is.’ Audrey gave them a sad smile, and Hannah’s gut twisted. ‘The Clifftop Hotel was quite grand, by all accounts, and with its exquisite sea views it attracted a lot of wealthy visitors from London. A newly married couple, Edward and Anna Purser, booked to stay here for an extended period, but the young gentleman was more interested in his business dealings than his new bride, and she was often alone.’

‘That’s sad,’ Hannah said. ‘Especially as they’d only just got married.’ She found it slightly unsettling that the woman’s name was a variant of her own.

‘What do you do when you have to spend long swathes of time alone?’ Audrey asked.

‘Dream up recipes,’ Hannah said, and Noah shot her a curious look. ‘What about you?’ she countered.