‘No, I was, really. I’m not proud of what I’ve done but I’m back here now and I hope we can be a family again.’

Jamie grinned from ear to ear.

After tea, Dorothy said she was going to continue sorting through the papers in the study – she was making good progress.

‘Is it okay if I take Jamie out to play with his new bat? There’s enough light from the lampposts over on the Green. Stru had a cricket ball in the shed I think, didn’t he?’

‘Key’s there, go and see,’ Fiona said, pointing to the fruit bowl. ‘I’ll wait here for a bit then join you. Martha’s on her way.’

‘Someone else to make me eat humble pie,’ said Pete.

‘Yes, you’ll need to butter her up big time, she’s been my crying shoulder since you left.’

Pete bent down and kissed Fiona then rootled around under the apples in the bowl and picked up the shed key. ‘Come on, Jamie, let’s practise a few strokes.’

‘Put your jacket on, Jamie,’ said Fiona. ‘It’s getting cold!’

‘Leave him be, Fi, he never feels the cold.’ Pete looked down at Jamie, grinning. ‘Unless you’ve changed while I’ve been away?’

Jamie shook his head, grabbed Pete’s hand and pulled him towards the door.

* * *

Martha rang the bell then walked in the back door.

‘Why d’you ring the bell when you just breeze on in anyway, M?’

She shrugged. ‘Done it since I was little, why change now! So what’s the big surprise?’

‘Wait and see. Glass of wine?’

‘Please.’

Fiona poured two glasses and Martha got some photocopies out of her bag. ‘Here’s the newspaper piece from The Courier, found it at last. From the seventh of May, 1880, the day after the court case. Look at this bit here. There’s a lot of preamble about the nitty gritty of what exactly each witness said – you can read that later–but the last paragraph’s the one to check out first. Look!’

‘What are you talking about, Martha? What court case?’

‘Just read it!’

Mrs Ann Craig of 73 Magdalen Yard Road, Dundee was tried and found guilty of murdering her husband, Robert Craig, of the same address. The murder took place on the promenade south of Magdalen Green on the 11th of January, 1880.

Two accomplices, Doctor Archibald Donaldson of 75 Magdalen Yard Road, Dundee and Alfred Johnston of 40 Mains Road, Dundee were found guilty of collusion. Doctor Donaldson was sentenced to two years in prison for falsifying a death certificate. He is also barred from practising as a medical practitioner for three years. Alfred Johnston was sentenced to two years in prison for aiding the accused in disposing of the murder weapon.