“I’d say so. ’Course, I’d really have needed to see the whole thing before it was smashed, but judging by the weight of the rabbit, the approximate length of the drop and this drive gear, it’s the best I could extrapolate. The rabbit acted as the weight, you see. In this case a dead weight. The wire would have been wrapped around this drum, which is itself part of the main wheel. Then the teeth here on the main wheel engaged with this centre wheel, which typically drives the hour hand in a clock. These other gears form part of the escapement mechanism, although in this design the horologist has opted for the more modern balance wheel rather than a pendulum – most likely because the pendulum ideally needs to be encased for protection. You didn’t find a metal disc anywhere near the tree, did you?”

“We found a coin. Is it important?”

The clockmaker adopted a pleased expression. “I thought so, something had to act as a balance wheel.”

Frankie felt that she was getting out of her depth. “What’s a balance wheel?”

“It’s a gearless disk, usually made of metal, that oscillates under the applied drive from the clock mechanism. There would have been a small coiled spring wire attached to the coin – you should see a weld if you look at it under a microscope – that acts to limit the rotational travel in each direction, pulling it clockwise, then anti-clockwise in a predictably timed manner. If I’m correct you’ll see a small hole drilled through the middle of the coin, this is where the rest of the mechanism was attached.” The clockmaker started to get into his stride. “This was the most difficult part to repair, so many small components with some of them still missing. You should have called me in to search the site. I’d know what I was looking for!”

“I’m sorry. If we’d known someone had left a handmade clockwork mechanism attached to the snare, we’d have obviously called you out first.”

The clockmaker didn’t understand irony. “You weren’t to know. Shame though, it really is a most accomplished design. Such artistry.”

Frankie decided to get the conversation back on track. “Do you know anyone who could construct such a device?”

He peered even more closely at the re-assembled mechanism as if it might show him something previously hidden from sight. “No. There’s nobody I know who could design something like this and carve it out of bone. The trouble is, bone splinters so easily, you have to understand what you’re dealing with. It becomes even more difficult with older bones, they fracture if you carve without care. No. Nobody in this country is capable, I’d say.”

“OK. Thanks anyway. Is there some way I can transport this? We may have to use it as evidence.”