Jimmy looked round, checking the jacket and the strap the parrot had been attached to. It was gone – probably lost somewhere on the island. His face crumpled and he looked close to tears. But Kit wasn’t bothered. ‘Not to worry, Jim-boy,’ he said, ruffling his hair. ‘It’ll be happy enough flying around and enjoying its freedom till we find it again.’

‘Miss Molly, Master Jimmy, Master Waddington: treble trouble. To what do I owe the pleasure?’ Miss Calver said, opening the door.

‘We need your help,’ Kit said.

‘I’ll do what I can.’ She ushered us inside. ‘Forgive the mess. I’ve been away staying with journo friends in Ipswich. Come through.’

She cleared three chairs and invited us to sit down.

‘Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a rather long, hot and tiresome journey, so I think we deserve a little drink. Lemonade?’ She checked the man-sized wristwatch that swamped her narrow wrist. ‘The sun’s nearly below the yard-arm, after all.’

It was only four o’clock – teatime really – but that didn’t seem to bother her. She returned with the drinks and took a long swig of whisky.

‘Now, how can I help?’

Kit and I glanced at each other. ‘You go first,’ I said.

‘No, you,’ he said, nudging me.

‘Have you heard about our petition?’ I started.

‘Petition? No, I haven’t. But as I said, I’ve been away the past week. What’s it about?’

‘We wanted to get people’s opinion about Eli’s hut,’ I said. ‘Because the church committee has been persuaded that he’d be better off in a council house.’

‘And what does Eli think?’

‘He hates the idea,’ I said.

‘And your father?’ She peered at me over her glasses.

‘He’s opposed to it, but got voted out,’ I said.

‘And how did the petition go?’

‘No one wanted to sign it,’ I said. ‘Because they know who’s behind the plan.’

‘Hmm. Doesn’t surprise me,’ she said, lighting a cigarillo.

I explained about the meeting and the vote, and the file of letters Eli had shown me and Pa. ‘That wretched man,’ Miss Calver spluttered. ‘Everyone knows he’s trouble, but no one’s prepared to stand up to him.’ She poured herself another generous glass of whisky and swigged most of it in a single gulp. ‘So, how can I help?’

‘You mentioned that Blackman and Eli had their differences in the past. Do you know what it was about?’

‘Ah, they go way back. This isn’t the first time Blackman’s tried to get him off that land. Before he even came to live here, just after the war, Henry tried to buy it, planning to build houses there. He knows full well that if you cut down the trees, it would have a wonderful view of the valley.’

‘What happened? Did the church refuse to sell it?’