‘You’re buying a house!’ Jo asked, ‘Where?’

‘In East Kennett.’

‘That’s up near Avebury, isn’t it?’ Jo had the look of an excited puppy dog about her.

Clare nodded. ‘Yep.’

Jo frowned. ‘But that’s good news, isn’t it? What’s the problem?’

Clare smiled apologetically, ‘Sorry, Jo. I didn’t mean to sound so grumpy. Of course it’s good news. I can’t wait. But the solicitor just phoned to ask me when I’m going to be able to sign the contract. Apparently they posted it to my flat first class on Monday and the people I’m buying from are keen to get on with it. It means I’m going to have to drive back down there tonight to pick it up and sign it.’

Jo said, ‘Bummer.’ There was a short pause. ‘But a house near Avebury, that’s real neat.’

Clare grinned. ‘I suppose it kind of is, isn’t it?’

It already seemed like a long week and it was only Wednesday. Jo had been amazing; not only was she going to cover for her on Friday, but she’d offered to get the team started on-site on the Thursday morning so that Clare didn’t have to set off from Salisbury at the crack of dawn. Despite that, by the time Clare had gone through everything she’d needed Jo to cover for her in the following day’s briefing it had been gone seven. So she’d decided she might as well eat at the King’s Arms before she set off. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but when she’d finally parked up Little Blue on the street outside her flat it was already dark. And as she hauled her holdall wearily out of the boot, she was bathed in the strange orange half-light of the street lamps.

Trudging up the front steps to her ground floor flat, she mentally worked her way through her wardrobe, selecting what she was going to take with her for her weekend away. At least that was one advantage to having to come back here. She’d be able to pick up some clean clothes for her weekend away in the Peak District.