Clare flushed. ‘Mark, have you met Professor Margaret Bockford?’

Margaret stepped forward. ‘Oh, Clare, really. I think Margaret will suffice given the circumstances, don’t you?’ She proffered a hand, which Stone shook warmly. ‘How lovely to meet you, DCI Stone. I gather it’s you we’ve got to thank for Clare still being with us.’

Stone dipped his head in recognition of the compliment. ‘I wish I could take all the credit. But I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that I think Jo had as much to do with it as I did.’

‘Well, either way, you’re just the man to answer my question. Did anything ever come of the little encounter Clare and I had with that antiquities dealer? The last time I heard anything was when Sergeant Hughes came to see me.’

Stone nodded enthusiastically. ‘Funny you should mention that now. We traced the number plate of the van to a bloke living over in the Forest of Dean. We’ve been keeping an eye on him and his mates for a while. They caught them red-handed last night detecting on a Scheduled Roman villa site out Cirencester way. One of them took a side swipe at one of my lads with a spade. So he’ll be going down for attempted assault on a police officer too.’

‘And I’ve just taken a call from our Heritage Crime lads. They’re well chuffed. They said when they got back to the dealer’s place and turned it over it was stuffed to the gills with stolen goods. He seems to have been dealing in all sorts. They’ve even got him bang to rights for a couple of thefts from churches – reckon he was stealing to order. So I guess I’ve got you and Clare here to thank for that.’ He turned towards Clare. ‘Though I wouldn’t recommend going it alone again with their sort any time soon.’ He took a sip of his cider before asking, ‘Fancy a dance?’

Clare hesitated for a second. Then over Stone’s shoulder she caught a glimpse of David and Sally in a world of their own on the dance floor.

Jo nudged her and pointed towards the speakers. ‘Go on, Clare! They’re playing your tune, “Strawberry Fields Forever”.’

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It takes many people to help bring a book to life. And The Lost Shrine is no exception. I would particularly like to thank my publishing director Susie Dunlop, Kelly Smith and all the staff at Allison & Busby. And I’m grateful too for the advice and support of Diane Banks, Kate Burke and the team at Northbank Talent Management. Though many people have helped make this book happen, all faults or errors that remain are my own.

The Lost Shrine is a work of fiction and the characters, events and organisations depicted are imaginary. But the places are an amalgam of the real and the imagined.