“That is good news,” I said, and I saw the relief in his face. He really cares about her, I thought. He cares about her and she’s married to someone else. What a complicated world this is. And then I realized something else. If this was yesterday’s planned murder, then the killer had finally made his mistake. His victim was going to live and she might have some idea why she was a target.

Breakfast finished, we wrapped ourselves up in scarves and hats and walked down the drive. Mist swirled about us and the bare bones of trees loomed like giant skeletons. However, there was already a festive atmosphere in the village, with bunting strung between buildings and signs to a car park behind the shop. On the far side of the village green some booths had been set up. We went through a gap in the hedge and were charged fourpence admission by a young Boy Scout. Folding seats had been set beside what looked, through the mist, like a real racetrack, only the fences were, as Junior had described, two feet high at the most. Quite a few people had arrived from elsewhere and the stalls selling hot cider, roasted chestnuts and baked potatoes were doing a good trade. So were the bookies. I could see on a blackboard that Monty appeared to be the current favorite. Darcy was at ten to one. I joined the line for one of the bookies and placed my bet on him.

“Isn’t this kind of gambling illegal?” Mrs. Wexler asked.

“It’s for charity,” the vicar said hastily. “The restoration of the church, you know. And you’ll see that the police are well represented in the crowd.”

I left the seats for the older people and stood behind one of the booths, which offered some shelter from the bitter cold. Mist swirled in, swallowing up the tents and then revealing them again. All around me people were laughing, but I couldn’t join in their festive mood. All I could think of was that this mist was a perfect opportunity for a killer, and that Darcy would be among those running out there.

“Yoo-hoo, Georgie!” I turned at the sound of my name and spotted two gorgeous mink coats coming toward me. Mr. Coward and my mother, both looking equally glamorous, came to join me. “Hello, my darling.” My mother kissed me about three inches from my cheek. “So what happened after we left last night? Any news on the poor woman?”

“Nothing much happened. The police decided to call it an accident and the good news is that she’s going to be okay.”

“Strange sort of accident,” Mummy said. “Someone must have bumped into that candle thingie, either accidentally or on purpose. It couldn’t have been blown over. Surely it was too solid.”

“I agree,” I said. I looked around. “Is Granddad here?”