‘I don’t recall anything he actually did, he just gives me the creeps. He lives a quarter of a mile away from here in a lonely, ramshackle old place on the edge of the marsh.’ Will looked at them both. ‘You guys know that feeling, don’t you? The one that screams out “not to be trusted.”’

They did.

‘He turned up about eighteen months ago, and he seems to spend an inordinate amount of time wandering alone along the sea bank and marsh paths. Which brings me to the other thing.’ Will frowned. ‘The pain from my elbow and my arm sometimes keeps me awake at night, and I’ve taken to getting up, trying not to disturb Kate. Some nights I go for a walk. I’ve seen a vehicle heading down the marsh lanes — as you know, they go nowhere other than the marsh and the estuary, or that old mill that’s waiting for demolition. No one lives out there, so where is it going, and why? Add to that the lights right out in the Wash, in the area around the Fenfleet Deeps, and I’m getting pretty twitchy.’ He munched thoughtfully on a Hobnob. ‘Thing is, I’ve asked around, and it seems I’m the only one who has ever seen the vehicle or the lights.’

‘This is getting interesting,’ murmured Matt. ‘Though it sounds as if the three are probably not connected.’

‘Maybe not . . .’ Will sat back. ‘Look, I really am happy to pay you. We are pretty comfortable since my injury, and Kate rakes it in from the illustrations and all their spinoffs. In fact, I’d feel much happier if you took it on as a proper job.’

‘Let’s just make a few enquiries first,’ Matt said, uncomfortable with the idea of charging an old friend. ‘Test the waters, see if there really is anything to investigate, and we’ll take it from there. Maybe just expenses, if we need to lay out any cash.’ After all, they had embarked on their new career to keep themselves occupied rather than to earn a living from it.

‘Deal. If anyone can put my mind at rest, it’s you two.’ Will sat back, evidently relieved, and they began to chat about inconsequential things. ‘You’ll have to come for lunch. You’ll be amazed at my newfound culinary skills.’

Liz laughed. ‘Ah yes — the King of the Microwave. If it didn’t finish cooking with a ping, then according to you, it wasn’t real food.’