“No, you’re all right.” Lucy felt unexpectedly lighthearted. It would be a determined ghost indeed who could withstand Cleo’s presence, she thought. She yawned widely. Reading through the book she’d brought back from Chastleton would have to wait until the morning. She was exhausted.

“I’m going to call Sam and let her know we’re here and then turn in,” Cleo said. “It’s been a long day. Shout if you need me, though.” The door of the spare room closed behind her.

Lucy took a shower, got into bed and turned out the light. The house was quiet, the softness of the bed enveloped her. She could feel herself relax and start to drift into sleep.

Then she heard screaming, followed by the slamming of the front door.

“What the hell?” She was wide awake in two seconds flat, leaping from the bed, rushing out onto the landing. All the lights were blazing; it was so bright she couldn’t see. She barreled into Cleo, who was running up the stairs, and grabbed her and held on.

“Sorry, sorry...” Cleo was panting.

“What happened? Are you all right?” Lucy blinked and focused on her sister. Cleo, she noted, was still fully dressed. She wondered what time it was. She’d been on the edge of sleep but had no idea how much time had passed.

“Someone was lurking out in the yard.” Cleo was shaking, clinging tight to Lucy. “I needed my phone charger and realized I’d left it in the car so I nipped out to get it and as I was coming back, someone came around the corner of the house and walked straight into me. I screamed and they ran away. Ugh, that was scary.”

Lucy hugged her back tightly. “You’re not hurt though?” she questioned urgently. “They didn’t touch you?”

Cleo shook her head. She loosened her death grip slightly. “No. I’m just shocked. It was as though they popped up out of nowhere. Plus it was dark and I wasn’t expecting it.” Her voice strengthened. “Sorry I screamed. It was a sort of reflex action.”

“And a good one,” Lucy approved. “You obviously scared them off.”

Cleo finally stood back, smoothing down her shirt, rubbing her arms as though she was cold. Lucy grabbed a rug from the chair on the landing and wrapped it about her sister like a jacket. “Look,” she said, “let’s go down and get a hot chocolate or something. And I probably should make sure no one is still hanging around out there.”

Cleo had regained her composure. “If you set foot outside that door, I’m coming with you,” she threatened, “and I’m taking a baseball bat with me.”

“We don’t have one,” Lucy said, “but I’ll have the police on speed dial. If need be.”

They went down the stairs together. The skeleton clock on the wall said that it was twenty to one. They’d got back at eleven thirty so Lucy realized she couldn’t have been asleep for long. She threw on all the switches, flooding the barn with light, plus the patio at the back and the courtyard, which was now lit up like a showground. She opened the blinds and scanned the cobbled space, jumping when she saw something moving in the shadows. But it was only the black cat, slinking away into the darkness.