As the audience drifted away and Painter busied himself packing up his laptop, Clare approached him. ‘Professor Painter.’

He looked up, his trepidation evident. Maybe he’d been hoping for a quick getaway.

But when he saw Clare he smiled. ‘Hello.’

She stuck out her hand. ‘Clare Hills. I’m a fellow archaeologist.’ Even now she still felt like a fraud when she said those words. ‘I’m based down at the University of Salisbury. I noticed there’s a little cafe here. I wonder, if you’ve got a moment, could I buy you a coffee and pick your brains about Beth Kinsella?’

There wasn’t a moment’s hesitation. ‘How can I refuse such a charming invitation from such a pretty young woman? I’ll just finish packing this lot away, and I’ll be with you.’

The comment could have come over as sleazy, but there was a gentle, old-school charm about Clive Painter that Clare found rather appealing.

They settled themselves at a table in the corner. Her with a macchiato and a glass of tap water, him – somewhat unexpectedly – with a hot chocolate with whipped cream, ‘and chocolate sprinkles, please’.

Clare watched in quiet amusement as the erstwhile head of department deposited a spoonful of cream and chocolate sprinkles into his mouth with obvious relish.

Clive Painter finished licking his lips. ‘Always been a weakness of mine, sugar.’

Clare said, ‘There are worse weaknesses.’

He looked at her. ‘So, what do you want to know about Beth?’

‘I’ve taken over a site Beth was digging on down in Gloucestershire.’

He placed his spoon down on his saucer. ‘Bailsgrove. That’s it, I thought I recognised you. I saw you on the news a couple of weeks ago.’

Clare wished he hadn’t. She was painfully aware it hadn’t been her finest hour.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. ‘Yes, well. This might sound a bit odd, but working on the site I suppose I’ve become a bit of an admirer of Beth’s work.’ Clare hadn’t even realised it herself until the words had come out of her lips, but it was true. She’d begun to respect Beth’s single-mindedness and tenacity. After all, their dig had proved her right. ‘But not everyone seems to have been such a big fan.’

‘Oh, really?’ There was a note of surprise in his voice.

‘I was talking to Stuart Craig …’

‘Ah, Stuart. You do know that Beth and Stuart were a couple for some time, don’t you?’ He sipped at his hot chocolate through the remains of the cream, depositing a thin white moustache on his top lip. Despite Clare’s best efforts, he must have noticed her staring at it because he plucked a paper napkin from its stainless-steel dispenser and dabbed at it.

‘Yes. I gather the split was somewhat acrimonious.’

He nodded. ‘At least on Stuart’s part. It was always a little difficult to tell with Beth.’