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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
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  10. 6
  11. 7
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  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
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  38. 34
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  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. On Borrowed Time
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. Adam Croft

‘I phoned you lot. Bob steered us over to the bank by the main footpath, ‘cos we didn’t know how shallow the rocks got. Figured we had to moor up quick, and soil seemed a better bet than rocks.’

‘Tenner says they charge us for that at the lodge,’ Bob said, interjecting. ‘Not meant to do that, you’re not.’

Caroline forced a smile. ‘I think they’ve probably got bigger things to worry about at the moment. Did either of you see anyone else by the church, or on that area of the water? Either before or after?’

The pair shook their heads. ‘No, no-one,’ Bob said. ‘We was the first ones out on the water. We like to be, see. Didn’t see no-one else over that way. Occasionally see the odd dog walker or jogger on the footpath, but very quiet this morning. Probably the mist. Don’t get many people out until that clears, usually.’

It struck Caroline that there wasn’t a whole lot she was going to get out of Bob and Geoff. She gave Dexter a knowing look, took their contact details and thanked them for their time.

As they stood to leave, a man — who Caroline estimated was in his mid to late sixties and who was wearing a knitted jumper with a bizarre frog pattern — approached them with a polystyrene mug of tea in his hand.

‘Terrible business, that. You’re the police, I presume?’

‘We are, yes,’ Dexter said. ‘And you are?’

‘Oh, sorry,’ the man replied, shuffling the tea into his left hand and extending his right. ‘Howard Smallwood. I’ve lived round here all my life and I’ve never seen anything like this before. Makes you wonder what the world’s coming to, doesn’t it?’

‘Indeed,’ Caroline said, smiling and starting to walk away.

‘If you need anything, by the way, I might be able to help. I’m the president of the local history society. I know all the little nooks and crannies, not to mention most of the people round here. If I can help you join any dots, just give me a shout!’

The man handed each of them a cheap business card with his details on. Caroline gave another smile, inwardly pleased that even in the midst of a violent murder, Rutland still had its eccentric characters to offer.

The air was already warming by the time she and Dexter stepped back outside and into the car park. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day. For one family, though, things were about to get a whole lot darker.

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