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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

‘Well, Roger asked me to keep an eye on her and support her while he was away travelling. I kept in touch with her, checked in on them occasionally. That sort of thing.’

‘He asked you to do that?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Sounds to me like you and Roger were pretty close friends, then,’ Caroline said, knowing full well from what the reverend had told them that this wasn’t the case.

Patrick shrugged. ‘Maybe it’s a church thing. If you’re in that circle, you tend to trust other people who are too. We Christians tend to be pretty trusting and forgiving.’

Caroline nodded slowly. ‘You make quite a lot of your faith, don’t you?’

‘How do you mean?’

‘You seem to mention it at every given opportunity. Almost as if it’s a handy get-out clause for you. You couldn’t possibly be guilty of anything, because you’re a Christian. Is that it?’

He looked between the two of them. ‘Sorry, am I under suspicion or arrest or something? I was told this was an informal chat.’

‘It is. We can make it formal if you’d prefer.’ Walsh stayed silent. ‘Would you say religion is an important part of your life?’ Caroline asked.

‘I would, yeah.’

‘How important?’

‘Very.’

‘Would you have said Roger was a religious man?’

‘Not particularly, no.’

‘Tell me more.’

‘What more do you want to know? He wasn’t particularly religious.’

‘What, so he was silent on the matter? Didn’t get involved? Loudly opposed it? What?’

‘It just wasn’t really his thing. That was his choice.’

‘Were there ever any disagreements over it? Did he ever, perhaps, get a bit vocal in his opposition to it? Did he cause any issues at all?’

Walsh seemed to think about this for a few moments. ‘I dunno. Possibly. I don’t really remember.’

‘You don’t remember? You’ve got no memory of whether or not a man — someone you were close enough to to be trusted to look after the welfare of his family while he was away — at any point, at any time, kicked off and caused major disruption over his views on religion, something which plays a major part in your life?’

Walsh shrugged. ‘People disagree and fall out all the time.’

‘Did you fall out with Roger Clifton?’

‘I didn’t say that.’

‘No, I did. Did you fall out with him?’

‘Not particularly, no.’

‘Not particularly?’