Part 9 (1/2)

She hadn't noticed the bluebottle in the corner of the window frame. As the light and warmth woke it up it crawled from beneath the curtain and buzzed angrily towards the strip light over the basin. She opened her eyes and watched it, irritated. The discordant buzzing spoiled her mood. After das.h.i.+ng itself several times against the mirror it took off and made a low swift circuit of the bathroom. Involuntarily she ducked as it swooped over her head. *d.a.m.n and blast!' She flicked foam at it. She would not let it spoil her bath.

As the water began to cool she turned on the hot tap hopefully, knowing before she did it that the tank would not yet have heated up again. As she expected it was cold. Heaving herself to her feet she stepped out onto the bath mat and wrapped a towel around herself. Wiping the steam from the mirror she peered at her face. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the bluebottle on the frame of the mirror. She flipped at it with her hand and it took off, swooping up to the light. It was then the phone rang. Wrapped in the towel she picked it up in the kitchen.

*Kate, I was worried. Are you OK?'

*Jon?' Her heart leaped as she sat down, s.h.i.+vering. *G.o.d, I wish you were here.'

*I thought so. Something is wrong isn't it? I could hear it in your voice yesterday.'

She could have bitten out her tongue. Why had she said it? It was over between them. Anyway, what was the use of worrying him when he was so far away? *Nothing is wrong,' she said hastily. *I just meant you'd like it here. The big skies, the sea, the silence. They would appeal to you.'

*Perhaps I'll come and see you when I get back.' There was an echo on the line this time a a pause between each sentence; it made them both sound awkward and they didn't talk for long. After she put the phone down she sat looking at it thoughtfully for several seconds. If it was all over between them, why did he keep ringing?

At a quarter to eight she switched off her computer and the desk lamp and standing up, she stretched. As she worked she had been conscious of the wind rising outside the cottage. It rattled the windows and from time to time she heard the spatter of rain against the gla.s.s.

Carefully she built up the fire and shut the doors as tightly as she could, closing the dampers right down so the stove would be snug and still alight when she came home later, then reluctantly she began to pull on her jacket and boots. With one glance behind her into the living room where she had left the single lamp on the side table burning to welcome her home, she stepped out into the night and pulling the front door shut behind her, she turned the key in the lock. For the last hour, she realised, she had been hoping that the phone would ring and Roger would suggest he came to fetch her. It would only take him ten minutes in the Land Rover. She sighed. Clutching her torch firmly she switched it on and directed the beam up the muddy track into the trees.

It took her half an hour to walk the half mile through the wood. The track was muddy and slippery and the wind had scattered the springy resinous branches of the pine trees on the ground, making the path treacherous in the unsteady torchlight. Several times she stopped and glanced around, s.h.i.+ning the torch into the trees. The narrow beam showed only wet, black trunks, deep shadows and a tangle of matted undergrowth.

Diana opened the door with an exclamation of surprise. *Kate, my dear, you haven't walked! Greg said he was going over to pick you up half an hour ago.'

Greg, she thought. I might have guessed. She smiled, realising suddenly that her face was so cold it was hard to make her muscles work. *I wish I'd known, I would have waited for him,' she said. She followed Diana inside, shed her wet outer garments and found herself ushered towards the dreamed of inglenook. Within minutes she had been settled into the warmest corner of the sofa with a whisky in her hand and a cat on her knee.

The room smelled gloriously of burning apple logs, and cooking; she sniffed in antic.i.p.ation; garlic, oregano, tomatoes a something Italian then. Lying back with her head against the cus.h.i.+ons she smiled at Roger who had seated himself opposite her. *This is heaven. It's not worth cooking for myself. I've been living on baked beans and tinned soup for the last few days.'

*So, how is your book going?' Roger smiled. At the Aga Diana had lifted the lid off a pan and was stirring gently.

Kate took a sip of her whisky, feeling the warmth flowing through her veins. *Quite well. From the work point of view coming here was a good move. It's given me the time to concentrate.'

*Not much else to do over there, eh?' Roger smiled. He c.o.c.ked an eye at the door as it opened and Greg appeared. *I thought you were supposed to be fetching our guest,' he said sharply.

Greg grimaced. *I'm sorry. I didn't realise the time. I was on my way out now to get you.'

Kate eyed him cryptically. She did not believe it. He had meant to leave it so late that she had to walk. She said nothing, however. She did not want to spoil the mood of the evening. *Don't worry,' she said easily. *No harm done. I enjoyed the walk.'

*Well, you can be sure he will drive you back after supper,' Roger put in quietly, and hearing the note of steel in his voice Kate realised that Greg's father was as aware as she was that his omission was deliberate. She relaxed back in the cus.h.i.+ons further with a sigh of pleasure, her hand gently stroking Serendipity Smith into a state of ecstasy, surprised to acknowledge how relieved she felt that she would not have to face the cold wet trees alone again that night.

It was when Alison and Patrick appeared that Greg, who had been morosely drinking beer in the corner chair, looked up. *Did you remember to bring the dagger you found in Alison's dig?' he asked. Though his voice was quiet there was a hostile edge to it that Kate picked up immediately.

She frowned. *I did indeed.' Carefully, so as not to disturb the cat she leaned down to the soft leather shoulder bag which lay at her feet and rummaged inside it. The iron dagger was wrapped in a piece of newspaper. Lifting it out she held it up to Alison. *I found it lying on the sand,' she said. *I only moved it because the tide was coming in. It would have been lost.'

For a moment Alison hesitated. She took the newspaper packet with obvious reluctance. *Thanks.' She put it down without opening it. *I had put it in my haversack. It must have fallen out.'

Kate raised an eyebrow. *Aren't you going to look at it?'

*Later.'

*What's wrong, Allie? Lost interest already?' Greg's challenge brought a flush of angry pink to Alison's face.

*Of course not.'

*You weren't there today.'

*I was.' The retort was flashed at him furiously. *That just shows all you know. She saw me. Didn't you?'

*I did,' Kate acknowledged.

*So, what do you think of Allie's dig?' Roger interposed quietly, long used to stepping into the quarrels of his children.

*Remarkable.' Kate sat forward. *I hope Alison is going to get some experts up here soon. The tide is taking away the sand very fast. If she's not careful the whole thing will have disappeared before it's properly recorded.'

*Did you remember to photograph it?' Alison's question stemmed not so much from interest, Kate sensed, as the desire to catch her out. It was with some satisfaction that she nodded. She reached again into her bag and produced the roll of film.

*I'm afraid the light wasn't as good as I'd hoped. It may not have come out, but it's better than nothing.'

Alison took the film and threw it down on the table near her. *Thanks,' she said again.

*It was very good of you to take them for her,' Roger put in. He had been watching his daughter with a frown. *Alison, have you told anyone yet about your finds? Kate is right. Someone expert on these matters needs to come and see it soon.'

*She'll do it when she's ready,' Diana put in from the kitchen. *Don't pester the child. Give her a chance to write up her project on her own first, if that's what she wants.'

Kate turned in her seat, resting her arm along the back of the sofa so she could see Diana who was grating parmesan at the kitchen table. *It really is getting quite urgent,' she said almost apologetically. *A few more high tides and the tumulus will have gone.'

*So that's what it is. A tumulus,' Greg put in. *It seems to me we have our own expert here on the premises.'

*I'm not an expert,' Kate turned back, conscious that the cat on her knee was becoming increasingly irritated by her apparent inability to sit still. *Far from it. But I do think it could be important.'

MARCUS!.

The voice seemed to echo round the room.

Digging its claws into her knee the cat leaped off her lap and streaked out of sight up the stairs.

The others looked at it in astonishment.

*Sorry. I hope he didn't scratch you,' Roger said with a puzzled smile. *I can't think why he did that. He seemed to like you.'

*It's probably the smell of mum's cooking,' Patrick put in his first comment of the evening.

Had none of them heard it then, apart from the cat? The pain of the voice which seemed to ring round the room had rung so loudly in her ears. The anguish. The fear.

Completely disorientated, Kate realised that Greg was watching her closely. *Perhaps you don't really like cats,' he put in softly. *They often go and sit on people who don't like them out of sheer perversity.'

*Of course I like them,' she snapped. Her hands were clenched tightly around her empty gla.s.s. Noticing, Roger levered himself to his feet. *Here, let me get you another one, Kate. Forget the moggy. He's a d.a.m.n nuisance.' His voice was soothing. *So, tell me, how do you like Redall Cottage?'

*Did you see the ghost again last night?'

Greg's question floated into the conversation before she had time to answer Roger's.

*What ghost?' Diana asked. *There's no ghost there, Kate. Take no notice of my son. He's trying to wind you up.'