She padded her way, barefoot, back into the house and pointed to the hall table. ‘It looks to me like the second half of that Roman inscription that Beth found the record of in that journal article. The one that was discovered by the vicar in the nineteenth century. And I’m no expert but that looks like blood to me.’

Jo turned to Stone. ‘From the shoebox you found at Crabby’s house.’

He nodded. ‘I think so.’

Clare turned to Jo. ‘When Crabby told me Beth had said she’d found something that proved the site was important, he was telling the truth.’

Jo said, ‘I guess he just left out the bit where Beth gave him the evidence.’

Clare said, ‘She must have realised she was in danger, if she felt the need to give it to someone else for safekeeping.’

Stone said, ‘But Crabby made a mistake. He trusted Fuller.’

Clare looked up at Stone. ‘He wasn’t the only one.’

EPILOGUE

‘Thank God that’s over with.’ Glass in hand, Sally turned to David. ‘Are you driving tonight?’

David said, ‘Before you slammed our guest of honour and esteemed colleague Dame Margaret Bockford’s speech, I was about to tell you that I’ve arranged a little surprise. I’ve booked us into the pub in the village. So neither of us have to drive.’

Sally chinked David’s glass. ‘Well, at least that was good thinking on your part, Dr Barbrook.’

The Bailsgrove end-of-dig party had taken on something of a fevered air. When Malcolm had suggested it, no one was really keen and who could blame them? But with Neil Fuller safely behind bars and awaiting trial, Malcolm had reckoned that they needed to do something to try to heal relations between the dig and the village. And so, much against most of their better judgements, the dig team, Mark Stone and Sally, together with most of the local residents, found themselves assembled in the village hall.

Margaret had agreed to buy the alcohol – the Hart Unit wasn’t entirely out of financial trouble yet. And Val’s husband, whom it transpired was a part-time DJ of the weddings and birthdays variety, was spinning the discs. Rather proficiently as it turned out.

Clare, who’d been standing behind Sally, turned to Jo and whispered, ‘Where does that woman get off having a go at Margaret?’

Jo laughed. ‘Which woman?’ She glanced over Clare’s shoulder. ‘Oh, that woman who saved your life, you mean.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous. It was you who saved my life, Jo.’

‘As I recall it was a bit of a team effort. Me and Mark.’ Jo nodded in the direction of Mark Stone, who was making headway on his second pint of cider. ‘And David and Sally. It was David who found that film and he would never have spoken to Beth’s father if Sally hadn’t told him about Jack Tyler.’