I could hear the river again. Could hear the roar of dirty brown water tumbling over rocks and shifting the stones with a movement that seemed to contain purpose and threat.

‘Really?’ I asked, keeping my voice calm. ‘That’s interesting. I’m sure Felicity mentioned seeing a man with a bag …’

If he thought my probing suspicious he didn’t show it. Just kept on chatting.

‘Aye, he said he were working in Carlisle and took the train out here because he’d heard there was some rare bird. Walked from the station so this were early in the year because Beeching hadn’t bloody closed it then. Asked me if there were anywhere to stay for the night and I told him to tek his pick. Since they killed off the rocket programme there’s plenty people eager to rent out a bedroom for the night.’

‘Where did you take him?’ I kept my voice steady. Didn’t want to rush it or make too much of what I was beginning to suspect.

‘Dropped him in the centre of Gilsland,’ he said. ‘Told him the food at Bridge Inn was worth his time. He was going to make his way to one of a couple of addresses I’d mentioned but to be honest it were Fairfax he wanted to see by that point.’

‘Fairfax?’

‘Like I said, I always sent Fairfax the blokes with the best stories though I don’t know if this charver was one of them. He asked me if there were somebody in the village who could help him identify somebody. Asked if there was anybody who knew everybody.’

I looked down at my boots. Saw the dirt in the footwell and the mud on the soles. ‘You told him to see Fairfax.’

‘The bloke I gave the lift to – can’t remember his name – he said he thought he had recognized somebody. He wondered if there was somebody in the village who knew everybody. Knew the village like the backs of their hand. He said “backs”. That was when I twigged his accent wasn’t local. Said he was French, like I said.’

‘And you sent him to Fairfax …’

He turned, looking a bit perplexed. ‘Aye, love, like I keep saying.’

‘Did Fairfax mention him to you?’

Loz chewed his lip, considering it. ‘Aye, said he turned up and were as polite as you like. Described somebody he thought he’d seen out towards the camp and wanted to know if Fairfax could help. Fairfax told him he didn’t sound familiar and the charver went on his way. Must have been mistaken or it were somebody from out of the area.’

I realized I was breathing hard.

‘Did he describe who he saw?’ I asked.