She cast him a withering look and resumed her search.

Will saw that if Matt and Liz were to give them any help, it would have to be through Kate’s research. Thank goodness Matt was a true “yeller-belly,” and had lived all his life on this stretch of the marsh. But how would Liz cope with Kate’s strange mood swings?

And how, he wondered, had Kate managed to drive past Emilia Swain’s wrecked garden without noticing? He decided to try and find out. ‘I thought I’d take a walk down the lane and check on Mrs Swain. Fancy a stroll?’

For a moment Kate looked confused, as if struggling with something. ‘Oh dear. I . . . I meant to say earlier,’ she bit her lip, ‘but when I came back past her place, something seemed to have happened in her garden.’ She looked at him anxiously. ‘I meant to tell you but I was so upset, I forgot.’

‘Happened?’ he asked blankly, careful not to let on that he already knew what had happened. Neither did he say what he was thinking — that she hadn’t been too upset to give that scumbag Grove a lift home.

‘Sorry, Bear, I don’t really know, it just looked like some animal had got loose in it.’

‘Then I’ll definitely go and check it out.’ Will left before he could say something he would regret. He didn’t need to go back there, he’d seen enough already, but perhaps an evening walk would clear his head a little, and if Emilia was home, he’d call in and tell her to ring him if anything worried her in the night.

Not finding her at the cottage, he sat on the wall for a while in the last rays of the late afternoon sun. What was happening on Whisper Fen? From a peaceful haven, an idyllic retreat, the place had suddenly become sinister, almost menacing. He hurried home.

As he entered the garden, Will saw his wife running down the path. Her call was almost lost, carried away in the breeze off the marsh.

He broke into a run and nearly fell through the gate. When he reached her, he saw that her face was wet with tears. Surely it wasn’t another dead Holland child?

But the news she gave him was totally unexpected. She held both his hands tightly in hers and gazed at him compassionately. ‘Will, darling, it’s Eva.’

He stared at his wife, uncomprehending. Eva? He rarely heard from his sister. As a Royal Canadian Air Force wife, Eva travelled all over the world and was hardly ever back in England.

‘Darling, come inside.’ She led him into the kitchen and pushed him gently into a chair. ‘Eva and Guy . . .’ She paused, swallowing hard. ‘Guy’s commanding officer rang for you. There has been an accident. They don’t know any details yet, but . . . they are both dead, Will.’