Stone said, ‘Everyone the killer has targeted was involved with the dig when Beth was in charge. You said Neil Fuller didn’t turn up for work this morning. Have you spoken to him?’

Jo shook her head. She had a bad feeling about this. ‘No, we’ve had nothing from him. Not even a text.’

Stone looked Jo straight in the eye. ‘There’s every possibility Neil could be in danger.’

Or, Jo thought, as he hasn’t been seen or heard of since Saturday night, it might be too late. And what Stone was very carefully not saying, but was blindingly obvious to anyone with half a brain, was that if the killer was targeting Neil and Clare was looking for him, she was putting herself squarely in harm’s way.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

David didn’t know what residue of memory or instinct had driven Jeffrey Kinsella to give him Beth’s envelope, but what he did know was he was grateful for it. Jack Tyler and Beth Kinsella were both dead and Fuller had worked with both of them at Bailsgrove. And it was obvious from the video that Marshall had been giving Fuller backhanders. And not just the odd tenner.

But to do what? To get rid of Beth? Maybe. But Marshall wanted his houses built and he can’t have been happy when the police closed down the site after Beth’s death. The video surely had to have been made by Beth, though. She must have had her suspicions about what was going on. Had she confronted Fuller about what she’d suspected? One thing was for sure, she was obviously nervous about what might happen. Otherwise why would she have given her father that USB stick? She’d hidden it in the one place she knew no one would ever look.

He flung his laptop onto the passenger seat of the Land Rover and dug his mobile out of his pocket. But who should he ring first? Sally? Clare? Jo? There was no choice, it had to be Clare. She and Jo would be at the dig site with Fuller now.

He scrolled through his contacts and hit Clare’s mobile number. It rang and rang. Pick up the bloody phone! Then it went to voicemail.

‘Clare, if you get this please, please phone me. It’s urgent. Neil Fuller is dangerous. He’s being paid by Marshall. I have proof. Close the site down. Do whatever you need to do. But stay with Jo. And for God’s sake don’t go anywhere on your own.’

He flipped over to messaging, his fingers fumbling on the screen. Fuller dangerous. I have proof. Stay with Jo. Two dead.

David’s hands were shaking as he punched Jo’s number on his mobile. He was all but praying now. Please have your phone switched on. Please.

On the second ring Jo picked up. Thank God.

‘Hi, David.’