“Eight...” That tugged at Lucy’s memory too and she suddenly remembered where she’d seen it. “The eight-pointed star was the symbol of the Knights Hospitaller,” she said. “And Thomas Tresham’s grandfather was the last Grand Prior of the Order. I spoke to the Hospitallers Museum yesterday too,” she added. “I feel sure I’m on the same track Charlie was on somehow. There was a story that the Hospitallers’ treasure was hidden at Knightstone after the Order was dissolved but it’s just a legend, there’s no evidence. It was supposed to be somewhere called the Hollow Hill.”

“The term hollow hills usually refers to burial chambers,” Johnny said thoughtfully. “Old ones, I mean, like the Neolithic barrow at Waylands Smithy. But it can also relate to features like chalk pits or quarries. There was quite a bit of quarrying on the Berkshire Downs.” He smiled at her. “You’re really into this, aren’t you, Lucy? Have you told Finn all this stuff?”

“Not yet.” Lucy blushed, hoping Johnny wouldn’t wonder what she and Finn had been doing all evening instead. “I’m still trying to piece it all together really. Plus today I went to see Maud Enright—you know I mentioned there was someone else other than us who had seen Catherine’s ghost? She had some interesting stuff to tell. But I’m going to try and sort my thoughts out—and tell Finn all about it later.”

Johnny packed up the tool kit and went off to speak to the geophysics team and Lucy went inside. The barn felt cool and peaceful. She realized that she wasn’t as tired as the last time she had done the same walk into the village and back. She was definitely getting stronger, and she felt lighter and happier inside as well. It made her smile. A text from Finn saying he’d be back at about nine o’clock made her feel even happier.

She spent the afternoon with a big notepad, listing everything that had happened since she had come to Gunpowder Barn and looking for patterns and connections. There was the lost garden and all its intriguing secrets. There was Catherine’s ghostly presence. There were all-too-real human vandals and intruders, and there was a lost treasure. Or perhaps two if Catherine and the Knights Hospitallers’ treasure were two separate things. Or perhaps there was no treasure at all if both of these were mere legends. And what was treasure anyway? As Maud Enright had said, it could be your loved ones or your freedom or the cause you believed in...

With a start, Lucy realized that it was eight o’clock and her phone had buzzed with a text.

It’s Persis, the message said. I need to talk to you urgently. Can you meet me?

Lucy felt a shiver of premonition. This was odd. She hadn’t seen Persis since Chastleton and had tried to ignore the wilder speculations that either she or Gabriel were up to anything suspicious, especially after the police had exonerated him of the vandalism at the summerhouse.