‘Fairfax is gone, lad. And I know you don’t know how to deal with what you’re feeling. So I’m being kind. I’m keeping it gentle. But if you’re not on your way you’re going down the fucking well.’

For a moment there was complete silence. I held my breath, wondering which of Felicity’s sons had fallen foul of Pike and what any of it had to do with Fairfax and the dead man. I knew at once it would be Brian. He had that badness to him. I recognized it as soon as I saw it. The sisters at my school would have called him wicked.

‘You can’t protect him forever,’ threatened Pike.

‘No. But if I hit you hard enough you’ll forget why you’re after him.’

I shrank into the darkness of the tree as Pike stomped past me. He had a shotgun in his hand and I could make out mud upon his face. I waited until he was out of sight before I let myself breathe out properly. Then I smelled cigarette smoke. Close, beside my left ear.

‘Hello Miss,’ said a voice, so close to me that I could feel warm breath upon my skin. I jumped the way Felicity would have; the way a silly girl would have. I laughed and it came out reedy and frightened.

‘I wasn’t spying,’ I said, before I could work out what else to say. ‘I’m sorry, I heard voices …’

‘I don’t like you being out in the woods in the dark,’ he said. ‘There are poachers. Traps.’

‘I’m fine,’ I protested, instinctively, but stopped when I sensed him moving. He appeared in front of me as if he had been made from shadows and trees. He had a square, handsome face with thick lips and two days’ growth of black beard upon his cheeks. His hair was a tangle of black curls and he wore a dirty white scarf tied around his neck. He was dressed in black bomber jacket and army trousers that disappeared into tall, lace-up black boots.

‘I’ll bring you your food by in the morning if that’s all right,’ he said, and his voice was melodic, as though it was used to telling campfire tales and singing old folk songs.

‘It is you who’s been bringing them …?’ I began.

‘Aye.’

‘Why?’ I asked, unable to help it.

He gave a half smile and his cigarette rose an inch. ‘Saw you and your boy not long after you moved in. Liked how you were together. Figured you might need a hand. Hope it wasn’t a liberty.’

I wasn’t sure how to appear. Was there any reason to be displeased? I had never met a man who gave something away without expecting payment and I think my doubts showed in my gaze.