‘Sorry, but you’ll always be the guv’nor to me.’ The young Welshman looked around. ‘Good Lord! What on earth happened here? A runaway JCB?’

‘No, lad,’ Matt growled. ‘Some vindictive little bastard, and I can’t wait to lay my hands on him.’

‘Okay, what’s the background?’ Bryn took out his detective’s notebook.

Matt told him everything that had happened.

Bryn pulled a face. ‘Any ideas? You two know her. Has she said anything to give you some clue as to what is going on?’

Matt shrugged. ‘We actually don’t know her that well. She seems like a strong and capable woman. She keeps her place nice and her garden was a work of art.’ He grimaced. ‘Was.’

‘You said she’s foreign. Where is she from?’

‘Her parents were German Jews, but she’s lived in Lincolnshire most of her life, so I’d say she counts as a local by now. She hasn’t spoken much about her parents, or her childhood. I had some dealings with her late husband when his business was broken into, and he intimated that her father was on our side during the war.’

Bryn absentmindedly picked up the overturned bird table. ‘Doesn’t sound as if it’s an anti-German thing, then. The war’s been over a long time now. Mind you, I do know that the Nottingham police have been having a bit of trouble recently with some really nasty fascist group targeting people with Jewish connections. It’s unlikely but I’d hate to think they had a cell in our area. In any case, I think it would be a good idea if she went to stay with someone for a while. This has been done with considerable venom, and if they could slit the cat’s throat . . .’ Bryn pulled a face. ‘That’s gross.’

‘I totally agree, but even though she’s upset right now, getting her to move out could be tricky,’ Will ventured.

‘And another thing,’ added Matt. ‘She owns a brand new Volvo, less than a week old.’

‘Oh shit, sir. I can see the paint-stripper eating into some superb bodywork as we speak.’

‘So can we.’ Matt groaned. ‘We were supposed to be looking after this place for her, and the scrote managed all this! That car stands no chance, even if we are doing a regular drive-by.’

‘Well, apart from sitting in her coal-shed twenty-four hours a day, what can you do? Oh, and security cameras, maybe? Have you suggested that to her, sir?’

Matt nodded. ‘First thing we did. She held back initially, but we managed to convince her just before she went away. They’re already ordered — should be here today, although it’s looking a little like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.’