Standing by the side of the cutting, surveying its contents, Margaret turned to Clare. ‘Well there’s no doubt about it – you’ve got yourself an absolutely classic Iron Age shrine site. And from what Val showed me of the finds I’d say that they tie up splendidly with the radio carbon dates you have from the infant burials. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this, Clare. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery.’

Clare nodded. ‘I know.’

‘Then why the glum face? You look like you’ve lost a shilling and found a sixpence.’

Clare waved her concern away. ‘Oh, ignore me, Margaret. I’m just tired.’

Margaret peered over the top of her spectacles. ‘I most certainly will not ignore you. I’m not a fool, Clare. As flattering as it is to be asked, I’m well aware that you had no good reason for inviting me out to see the site. You’re perfectly capable of running this site on your own. And from what I’ve seen you’ve got yourself a really strong team here.’

‘That’s down to Beth. They were her team.’

‘Don’t change the subject! I want to know what it is that’s troubling you.’ Without warning, Margaret deposited herself onto the grass. Sitting cross-legged, she patted the ground beside her. ‘Come on; tell me what this is all about. I’m not going anywhere until I’ve had an answer.’

Reluctantly, Clare sat down beside her. ‘I don’t know where to start, Margaret. Everything is such a mess.’

‘Well, it can’t be the excavations you’re talking about. This is about as far from a mess as it’s possible for one to imagine.’

‘It’s the nighthawking. I told the police about our meeting with the antiquities dealer.’

Margaret smiled. ‘Is that all? If that’s what’s troubling you, it needn’t. I’ve already received a visit from Detective Sergeant Hughes about that.’

‘Really! Why didn’t you mention it?’

Margaret said, ‘What is there to mention? I told him exactly what happened. He was a little confused at first but he went away satisfied eventually.’

‘Confused?’

‘About why anyone would go to the trouble of procuring antiquities from abroad, in order to stage photographs of them being removed from an archaeological excavation and then sell them online. But once I’d told him that they were probably attempting to give them a false provenance to enhance their market value he seemed content that it was a credible explanation.’

Clare felt a wave of relief sweep through her entire body. ‘Oh, thank God!’

‘What is it, my dear? I really don’t understand why you’ve worked yourself up into such a state about this.’

For what felt like an eternity Clare sat in silence, playing with a blade of grass, until Margaret eventually said, ‘Well?’