She pointed at the phone. ‘This is just like that hare they found with Beth, isn’t it? Right down to the orange twine.’

Stone narrowed his eyes. ‘How do you know about that?’

Surely he didn’t think she was involved in some way?

‘Crabby told us. Me and Clare.’

That seemed to satisfy him. And his thoughts now suddenly seemed to be taking a different tack.

Stone asked, ‘Where did you say Clare was?’

‘She’s gone down to Gloucester to see if she can track down a member of staff who didn’t turn up to work this morning.’

‘Who?’ he almost screamed at her.

Jo sat back in her chair, open-mouthed.

Stone took a deep breath. ‘Look, I’m sorry, Jo, but this could be important. Crabby isn’t the first murder related to this dig.’

Jo said, ‘You mean Beth.’

For a moment Stone hesitated, apparently uncertain of what to say. ‘I’m going to be straight with you. Knowing what I know now there’s every possibility that Beth might not have taken her own life. But it’s not what I meant. One of my colleagues down in Wiltshire has been investigating another murder. A bloke by the name of Jack Tyler. Name mean anything?’

Jo shook her head. ‘Never heard of him. But then I don’t know everyone in Wiltshire. It’s a big place.’

‘Well, it turns out Jack Tyler was an archaeologist by training. And he worked for Beth, on this site.’

‘On this site?’

Stone nodded. ‘That’s right. And Beth sacked him for turning up to work drunk. So now you see why I need to know who hasn’t turned up for work.’

Jo shook her head in disbelief. ‘I don’t believe it. Three people connected with this dig have been killed.’

She needed to concentrate, pull herself together. She looked at Stone; he didn’t appear to be in any doubt.

She said, ‘Clare’s gone to find Neil Fuller, our site assistant. Like I said, he didn’t turn up for work this morning. Clare was worried about him.’

‘Oh, why?’

How much to tell him?

She said, ‘He’s been a bit down lately. Things with his wife are – you know – kind of rocky.’

Stone looked disbelieving, ‘Does Clare normally make house calls to staff members who’re going through a rough patch with their other half?’

Jo hesitated. How much should she tell him? Who could it hurt? If there was ever a time for telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, this must be it.

She said, ‘Neil had a few problems with drugs and alcohol in his younger days. Clare was just a little concerned things with his wife might have sent him off the rails again.’ She paused. ‘And there’s something else you should know – Neil worked for Beth here too.’