“Mr Semple, as I told you on the phone, we had no authority to deny him access to the item.”

“I was only wondering what your impressions might have been.”

“I’d say he was a fine young specimen.”

“And the person with him?”

Lister rubbed his chin as if to conjure up the memory, producing a noise like a mouse scrabbling in litter. “I can’t really recall.”

“Anything you can bring to mind.” Unease beyond defining made me urge “Anything at all.”

“I think they did most of the reading.” Lister raised a forefinger, signifying inspiration. “So perhaps you needn’t be too worried for your son,” he said.

“What difference does that make? He’s still with someone who’s mixed up with that stuff.”

I’d embarrassed the librarian, who said “Let me fetch your book.”

“Hold on.” When he turned without bothering to display enthusiasm I said “Were you here all the time they were?”

“I was, yes.”

“How long would you say that was?”

“About an hour,” he said, having mimed deliberation.

“And after they left she came back.”

“Did they?” Apparently this needed pondering as well, and so did adding “No.”

I felt more disquieted than I understood. “What do you mean, no?”

“They, that’s to say your son’s friend, they didn’t come back. Not while I was in here, at any rate.”

“Ah,” I said with the hope of relief. “How long was that?”

“The rest of the afternoon. At least a couple of hours, and I never went out the door.” Lister gave me a decidedly doubtful blink before saying “Anyway, your book.”

My appearance might well have been a source of concern, given that I’d barely slept since visiting the abandoned hotel. I’d managed few coherent thoughts, none of them reassuring. Presumably the jars of earth had been left unguarded because anyone who touched them would be given good cause to regret it. At least Bella was keeping the items away from Roy, but no doubt she was with him at this moment, and exerting what influence? What did she actually want from him? I was desperate to confront her, though perhaps not until I could find her on her own, and surely learning what she’d discovered in the archive might help. I did my best to focus on the moment as Lister returned with the book.