‘I shall go and get some money and pay you immediately,’ she told him, hurrying out of the door. Once inside the office, she swung aside the picture that hid the safe and gasped when she saw that the door to it was slightly open. Worse still, it was completely empty! Her hand rose to her throat as she stared at it in shock. But it couldn’t be, the stables had been doing well, so where was all the money? Yet even as she stared at the empty safe a terrible thought was taking hold of her. Ben was gone and so was the money. Surely he wouldn’t have taken it? Yet what other explanation could there be? And then it dawned on her. Ben must have paid all the money into the bank. Pulling herself together with an effort she made her way back to the kitchen to tell Bill in a shaky voice, ‘I’m so sorry, Bill. I can’t put my hands on the money right now but please leave your bill and I’ll come into town and settle up with you just as soon as possible. And I’m so sorry.’ She was finding it hard to force a smile and not panic, but somehow she managed it.

‘No problem at all, pet,’ he assured her with a smile, sensing how awkward she was feeling. She was a lovely lady and the last thing he wanted to do was upset her, which was why he had left the unpaid bill as long as he had. ‘Ben’s probably just been so busy he forgot all about it.’

‘Yes … yes that’s what it’ll be.’ Sunday was so embarrassed she could barely look him in the eye and as soon as he’d gone, she told Cissie in a wobbly voice, ‘Th-the safe was open and the money’s gone, Cissie.’

Cissie paused and narrowed her eyes. ‘What do yer mean, it’s gone? He always kept enough back each week in the safe to pay for the bills an’ any emergencies that might crop up.’

Sunday nodded as she wrung her hands together. ‘I know.’ Her tongue flicked out to lick her suddenly dry lips. It was clear what they were both thinking but neither of them wanted to put it into words. ‘Are you quite sure Ben hasn’t left a message for us?’

‘I didn’t see one but let’s go an’ check.’ Cissie dried her hands on her coarse work apron and hurried away to Ben’s room with Sunday close on her heels. Between them they systematically searched the room but apart from the furniture it was as if Ben had never lived there.

‘What are we going to do?’ Sunday asked in a tremulous voice.