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Chapters (70)
  1. Cover
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  3. Map of Rutland
  4. Map of Oakham
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. On Borrowed Time
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. Adam Croft

Caroline tried not to show too much of a reaction to this news. ‘Oh? And Roger too, presumably?’

Alice laughed. ‘No. Not Roger. Not by a long shot. He used to call it a load of old hogwash. I go to church every Sunday, but I think the only times Roger set foot in a church were on our wedding day and when Hannah got baptised. He wouldn’t even come to events there with me. The couple of times he did, he always rubbed people up the wrong way.’

Caroline nodded as she pretended to jot down a few things in her notebook. In fact, there were only two words, which she left in full view of Dexter.

Told you.

‘Well, this is all very helpful, Mrs Clifton. Thank you. Would you mind if I used the bathroom, please?’

‘No, of course,’ Alice said, gesturing in the general direction of the hall.

‘Thanks. Still getting used to the Indian takeaways around here. Bit different to London.’

She smiled inwardly to herself as she thought of Dexter being left in the kitchen with Alice Clifton on the back of that little comment. At least it’d give her a good few minutes to do what she’d really come here for.

10

The upstairs of Alice Clifton’s house was still palatial, but less ornate and tacky than much of the downstairs had been. Caroline wondered to herself whether downstairs had been styled for other people to see, whereas the upstairs had been purely for Alice and her daughter.

She wandered into the main bathroom and splashed some water on her face. She supposed she should at least make a show of having actually been in the bathroom.

Caroline prided herself on having a good eye and ear for detail. It was something that had been pointed out to her early on in her career, and was what had made her first consider a route to CID. It was that eagle eye which had spotted the mobile phone in the kitchen downstairs, and her keen ear that made her sure she’d heard someone shuffling around as she came up the stairs.

She walked back across the landing, taking slow steps, and saw a slight shadow moving in the gap underneath one of the bedroom doors. She moved towards it and whispered.

‘Hannah?’

There was a brief moment before the door opened and Caroline came face to face with a beautiful young woman she assumed to be Hannah Clifton. ‘Can I come in?’ Caroline mouthed, gesturing towards the room. The girl nodded and stepped to the side, allowing Caroline to enter before closing the door quietly behind them.

‘I’m guessing you’re from the police,’ Hannah said, her eyes red. ‘You’ve got that look about you.’