Flossie smiled and then ripped up the poster in front of him.

Ruben shouted from the crush at the door, “Seth, get tha daft arse out here.”

Seth said to Flossie, “Yabba dabba do, big girl.”

And pushed his way out.

What did that mean?

What did anything mean?

Jo had disappeared off, but she came back and said, “I managed to sneak a note to Jack for Phil. I’ve outlined my special plan in it so that we can meet again.”

I said, “What is the special plan?”

Jo thumbed her nose. “Him and me are going to act normal and nice. Pretend we’re just like anyone else, and that the potting-shed thing was, you know, an accident that was waiting to happen.”

As she went off, I thought, Yes, well, good luck with that plan.

I hurried home that night feeling a bit shaken up. All this time and now he was back, the Rusty Dark Crow of Heckmondwhite.

Why did he have to come back and do that looking thing?

What did he want?

Maybe he didn’t want anything. He just happened to look up.

Anyway, he’s probably kissed a hundred girls since, well, since . . . the thing happened.

I’ve got nothing to worry about. He’ll think I’m just another notch on his . . . erm, guitar.

So, good. That’s that then.

I can throw the poem away and get on with life.

Get on with thinking about real boys.

Boys who are nice to me. Boys like Charlie.

I wonder if the Woolfe boys will be set free soon.

In the early evening after tea (nettle soup), I thought I’d just have a look around the back woods and see if there was any sign of Little Lullah and Little Ruby. As I went down the lane, I passed the tree at the bottom of the Dobbinses’ garden where Cain stuck his stupid poem, which I will be throwing away when I get in.

There was a poster on the tree. It was The Jones poster.

What a stupid place to put a poster. Well, not stupid if you wanted to attract voles and squirrels to your gig but . . . I’m going to take it down.

As I ripped it off, I noticed something handwritten at the bottom. It hadn’t been on the other posters. It was written in felt-tip. And I knew the handwriting.

Handwriting that looked like it had been done by someone with a hoof.

Cain’s writing.

It said:

See you there, cheeky miss.

What? Why? What does he want with me?

I took the poster back to Dandelion Cottage and slipped it into the fire because there was no one in the kitchen. I was all restless and wound up, so I was glad when Ruby came round with Matilda and we went out again. Even though it was dark it wasn’t very cold. She said, “I thought I saw Lullah and Ruby on my way home from school, so let’s go up back and see.”