tcy, and    of ttage and knocked on there ‘as no answer.

        Mig ime of year    to tay edly to me:    delivering cakes for Cmas parties. erer be, just before Cmas? I er. I put t t a off toward Angelfield house.

        It -e. I h my scarf ed around my face as high as my nose, I soon warmed up.

        At topped. In ta te, tivity. I fro; t in as I undid my buttons. Using my long lens, I cationary, and tanding in a loose cluster. t opped tle amping t to keep s rap from ttes. From time to time one of t to t tion. I tried to make out tood turned ae, fag t from time to time one or anot a glance over o them.

        Bee teo cover part of te. t judging from tent ook to be tion    and overcoat, t ory nods and s ion, it    to, and ly.

        sentences; in    pauses t speak, but se patie one point ion of ts jaeeting into t last o    jured.

        A flap opened ient. A fiftepped out of it and joi t, t over to    told irely ing, began to gatogets and t t and make to tes. tiorao tent, back to tohe police car.

        I lo tio gaze at te tent. I kne. I ion of t desecrated library. t o tumbled over burned and broken wood.

        t room. Buried in scorcected for decades by t fell.

        I couldn’t . I    appeared t someone ry ible.    to make tio er    t s struck me, and it y of t made me t migrue.

        if er    at all?

        o tumbled as t to t looking ion they had e from.

        It ing and almost falling, turned . Sopped. ant h knowledge and spoke.

        ‘You ’t go up to stay away.“

        “I see.”

        ‘tent,“ the girl added shyly.

        ‘I sa,“ I told her.

        Ily breat.” And to me, “’s going on?”

        It ent. You’re not alloo go near. to go home.”

        to te, fro te tent. “Isn’t t    plete ion in front of t I knew w s.

        ‘I believe t is er’s    of her eyes.

        ‘e on,“ sold t’s too cold to be outdoors, any’s go home and have cocoa.“

        ted tes and raced into treet. An invisible ceto she cord away.

        I c a horrible absence by my side.

        t to me. “You could do    you? You’re as we as a g.”

        e fell into step, follo,” I told her. “I’m a friend of Aurelius Love.”

        Ser the deer here.”

        ‘I knoold me.“

        A    of reaco to escape her.

        ‘tor!“ my panion sed out. ”Get ba t!“

        t a jolt t did you say your son’s name was?”

        turo me curiously.

        ‘It’s just— tor who worked here years ago.“

        ‘My fator.“

        I o stop tor… ther?”

        ‘Jo’s    ime before I ies when I was born.“

        Slo t offer of cocoa, if you don’t mind. And I’ve got someto show you.”

        I took my bookmark out of er’s diary. Karen smiled tant s eyes on to. , iff, raig a yellow    on. o ure.”

        ‘Your employer, Miss Mar?“

        ‘Seen tom? Of course not! t retarded, I uand, so it’s tate. t of a recluse. S been back to Angelfield siact we ors.“

        Karen stood at tove, ing for to . Be, till in it. t tle.

        I o be careful not to say too muc er he hall as I came in.

        ‘It’s just t I ing about tos of t the impression she reized him.“

        “S have. Unless…”

        Sograp it again, to    room. “tom? tom, bring t picture from telpiece, he silver frame.”

        tom came in, carrying a pograper behind him.

        ‘Look,“ Karen said to    a pograph of you.“

        A smile of delig onto ?”

        ‘Yes,“ I said.

        ‘S the one of yranddad.“

        o my side of table and ure out to me, shyly.

        It ting instantly: tarden. taken off    in     tilting ly. trying not to squint in t. sleeves op button of     trousers ly pressed, and s for to.

        ‘as he fire?“

        Karen put table and t to drink it. “I t o time. Nearly fifteen years.”

        I looked closely ture to truck by ty h his grandson. he looked nice.

        ‘You kno man. But te. e forties    to ask tions . Kind.    no, I sometimes he feeling I never really knew him.“

        tail in tograp caught my eye.

        ‘’s this?“ I asked.

        So look. “It’s a bag. For carrying game. Ps mainly. You    open it flat on to lay ten it up around t knoure. he was never a gamekeeper, I’m sure.”

        ‘ t or a p o her.

        I t of Aurelius and a—it    of t to t o’s faded a bit, over to look    you    see it, ’t you?” I    been able to see it, but per if it     her’s? Ambrose.

        From Karen’s    a taxi to tor’s offi Banbury. I kneing to er; no o him.

        tionist did not    to disturb Mr. Lomax . “It is Cmas Eve, you know.”

        But I insisted. “tell ’s Margaret Lea, regarding Angelfield house and Miss March.”

        it said It o t it o tell me, ratantly, to ght in.

        t very young at all.    turned up at ing money for Joood t to ors. For years o knoity of    Miss Marced t from s and tures on ter all t he knew.

        ‘Glad to meet you, Miss Lea.     I do to help?“

        ‘I’ve e from Angelfield. From te. they’ve found a body.“

        ‘Oh. Oh, goodness!“

        ‘ill t to speak to Miss inter, do you suppose?“

        At my mention of tly to t    be overheard.

        ‘t to speak to ty as a matter of routine.“

        ‘I t so.“ I    only is s?“

        he nodded.

        ‘—but also, er is dying.“

        interrupt.

        ‘It ter, given y and tate of er’s    receive t too abruptly. S    from a stranger. And s be alone wion reaches her.“

        ‘ do you suggest?“

        ‘I    go back to Yorksoday. If I    get to tation in t o e to tact    they?“

        ‘Yes. But I    delay time for you to get to tation, if you like.“

        At t moment telep up.

        ‘Bones? I see… Sy, yes… An elderly person and in poravely ill… Some likeli bereavement… It migter… Given tances… I o knoruste… Indeed… By all means.“

        e on a pad and pus across to me. A name and a telephone number.

        ‘o telep to let and o, alk to , it    . t seems, are not ret. Noime is your train? e should be going.“

        Seeing t I , t-so-very-young Mr. Lomax drove in silenevert excitement seemed to be eating a ually, turning in to tation ale…”    suppose… ?”

        ‘I wisold him. ”I’m sorry.“

        ed face.

        As tation loomed into sigion of my own. “Do you o know Aurelius Love?”

        ‘terer! Yes, I know he man’s a ary genius!“

        ‘how long have you known him?“

        tually, I    sch him”—

        and in tence a curious quiver entered    realized tions of my inquiry. My    question did not surprise him.

        ‘ Miss Marcer? as it her’s business?“

        ill at sco to see my fat e to sort out and,    going into fidential details, it became clear during tion t Miss Marcer    eavesdropping, you uand. t is to say, not deliberately. I able    draped and made it into a sort of tent, you see—and I didn’t    to embarrass my fat stayed quiet.”

        Miss inter old me? ts in a here are children.

        e o a stop in front of tation, and turned ri eyes toold Aurelius. told me    of told    Miss Adeline Angelfield and Miss Vida inter he same person. I’m sorry.”

        ‘Don’t    it. It doesn’t matter now, anyway. I only wondered.“

        ‘Does sold Aurelius who she was?“

        I t about tter Miss inter    me rig t Aurelius in , seeking tory of    was decades ago. If s care.”

        the shadow cleared from his brow.

        ‘t.“

        And I ran for train.
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