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‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘That would be very helpful.’

He led her back to the Howling Gail Inn, which actually wasn’t that far away, just down a couple of tricky turns that Kelly had failed to notice after leaving Glynnis’s place.

When they entered the main bar, it was busier than Kelly had seen it before, with several tables occupied by large groups chatting amicably over beers and plates of food.

Ambrose asked Kelly if she wanted a nightcap, but Kelly had drunk enough for one evening and opted for a lemonade.

There was no sign of Lars in the bar tonight, which only managed to get Kelly’s suspicions up even more.

What if Lars had been one of the men on the aqueduct?

There was also no sign of Martin. When she asked Esmeralda if he was about, the girl just told her that it was Martin’s day off.

Kelly’s suspicions were growing all the time, and her mind was starting to lay out the bones of a conspiracy plot.

For sure, it had to do with Clive Dawkins’ disappearance, and at this point, Kelly believed the whole village must be in on it. She just wasn’t sure why.

So, still feeling a little tipsy, she sat down next to Ambrose, the only man she could be sure hadn’t been up on the aqueduct, and leaned in.

‘You don’t think someone was out to get Clive Dawkins, do you?’

‘What?’ he said, sounding distracted.

‘Clive Dawkins,’ she hissed, a little too loudly. ‘I think he’s been murdered.’

Ambrose turned to her and laughed.

‘What on earth for?’ he said.

‘I haven’t figured that out yet,’ Kelly slurred.

As Ambrose grinned, not at Kelly, however, but at someone sitting in the corner behind her.

As she turned around, Ambrose grabbed her shoulder.

‘Don’t look,’ he said.

‘Why not?’ Kelly answered.

‘Because if they think they’ve been spotted, they’ll leave.’

‘Who?’ she said.

‘Those people in the corner. They’re from a TV series called Unsolved Paranormal Mysteries.’

‘What on earth are they doing here?’ Kelly said.

‘They’re reconstructing the disappearance of William Medhurst,’ Ambrose said. ‘They’re going to make a TV show about it. I’m trying to drum up the nerve to go over and ask if I can be an extra.’

‘Really?’ Kelly couldn’t help but grin.

‘Shh!’ Ambrose hissed. ‘You see that guy by the wall? That’s Gilbert Rogers,’ he said.

‘Who?’

‘Gilbert Rogers! He used to be in EastEnders.’

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