There was confusion in Severn Sands, contradictory stories circulating about what was going on. Someone had spoken to someone who said the animals had gone to one of Bristol’s city farms. Someone else said they’d heard the park was going to be refurbished and brought up to date. Mr and Mrs deVillars hadn’t been seen out and about in weeks; perhaps they’d moved away. And then the news came. Marnie heard it from her father, who had it from Mr deVillars himself. It transpired that the progress of Camille deVillars’ dementia had been accelerating over the past year. Her husband, knowing he was losing her, and wanting to devote his time and energy to his ailing wife, entrusted the park to their son, transferring control and ownership of the entire business. Part of the agreement was that Guy would keep the park open at least until after his mother’s death. One of the few things that still gave her pleasure was looking out of the windows of the Big House and watching the holidaymakers enjoying themselves. Guy had not honoured the agreement. He’d shut the park down at the end of the lucrative summer season, and put the antique carousel and any other assets that could be sold up for sale. What was worse, he’d gone behind his parents’ backs to seek and gain outline planning permission for the redevelopment of Channel View while the park was still open, increasing the land’s value fourfold. He had, according to John Morahan, stitched Mr and Mrs deVillars up like kippers.

Now there would be no more Saturday or holiday jobs for Lucy and the other teenagers growing up in Severn Sands. The last thing that gave the town its personality and its raison d’être was being dismantled. New people would come to live in the new houses. They would commute to work in Bristol or Cardiff, they would walk their dogs in the fields that used to be Marnie’s queendom; everything would change.

Perhaps new people would revitalise the town and the changes would turn out to be a good thing, but the existing residents weren’t used to the idea yet. They were still grieving for the loss of the holiday park. The finding of Alice’s remains felt like an omen; a sign that things should have been left as they were. And whoever it was who had killed Alice, if they were still in Severn Sands, must be feeling afraid and vulnerable. And if that was the case, didn’t that mean they would be dangerous?

Marnie would be extra careful with Lucy. She wouldn’t take any risks.