‘Of course,’ Judith said. ‘I promise. No more amateur sleuthing. You have my word.’

‘Thank you.’ Tanika sounded relieved. ‘And thanks for the information about Liz Curtis. I’ll see what I can find out about her.’

Tanika rang off, and Suzie, who’d only heard Judith’s end of the conversation, asked her friend what it was that she had just promised.

‘Oh, nothing important,’ Judith said with a bright smile. ‘Now come on, we need to talk to Liz Curtis.’

They went over to the Portakabin they’d seen Liz come out of. They found her inside, halfway up a ladder painting the walls white.

‘Hello,’ she said as she climbed down from the ladder.

Liz was tall, thin and angular, her limbs almost longer than seemed entirely natural, Judith thought to herself. Like a praying mantis. Most importantly, she also had a shock of flame-red hair and was very definitely the person who’d run away from her twice.

Liz’s face fell as soon as she saw Judith.

‘Oh it’s you,’ she said.

‘Hello, Liz,’ Suzie said.

Liz was even more dismayed to see Suzie standing next to Judith.

‘Hello, Suzie,’ Liz said, turning her back on the women and heading over to a metal samovar that was on a trestle table next to some tea things. ‘Are you looking to make a booking?’

‘Not on this occasion,’ Judith said, glancing at Suzie. Both women could see how guiltily Liz was acting.

‘You see,’ Suzie said, ‘my friend here wants to know why you keep running away from her.’

‘What’s that?’ Liz said as she poured herself a cup of tea, still keeping her back to the women.

‘Are you saying you didn’t run away from me in the field?’ Judith asked.

Liz didn’t reply immediately. But once she’d stirred her tea and put her teaspoon down, she finally turned around.

‘What’s that?’ she said, as if she’d not heard.

‘I saw you in Stefan’s garden two days after he died,’ Judith said. ‘And in a field the day after that. Both times you ran away from me. I want to know why.’

Liz took a gulp of her tea and then headed over to the reception desk. It was obvious she was trying to buy herself time.

‘No, I’m sorry but I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she said.

‘But we saw each other—’

‘I said I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Liz said again, and Judith and Suzie could see that she was trying to hide her panic.

‘Oh,’ Judith said. ‘Are you saying you didn’t go to Stefan Dunwoody’s house after he died?’

‘That’s right. I don’t even know who Stefan Dunwoody is,’ Liz said. ‘I’ve never heard that name before. Now do you want to make a booking, or do I have to ask you to leave?’