Napoleon grunted again. ‘You think so, do you? Yes, I’m inclined to agree. There’s something not quite right here and I’ve a nagging feeling that you and I are going to be stuck here in the back of beyond whilst Alec tries to find out what.’

Alec guided her to an old leather chair that stood beside the wall and she sipped her coffee and listened to him riffling through the desk drawers, the captain’s chair in which he sat squeaking in mild protest as he finally leaned back and lifted his own cup from the blotter.

‘Did you find the laptop?’

‘No, definitely not in here. His notes seem to be where Marcus said they would be and there’s also a stick drive in here. I’ll try it in my computer later, see what’s on it. Funny, I half expected to find a stack of manky floppy disks, not a stick drive, but then I wouldn’t really have credited Uncle Rupe with entering the computer age.’

‘Marcus reckoned he was a bit of a wiz.’

‘So he did.’

‘What are the notes like?’

‘Well, they’re just readable, I suppose. I don’t imagine Rupe expected to have to show them to anyone else.’ He sat forward and set the mug down with a bump.

‘Thought of something?’

‘Hmm, yes. When I stayed here I seem to remember Rupert having a safe or strongbox or something. I wonder …’

‘You remember where?’

‘A floorboard, I think. Somewhere over near the fireplace. Let’s see.’

The wooden boards creaked as he knelt down and pulled back the rug and Naomi heard him tapping at the floor.

‘Won’t it all sound hollow?’ she asked. ‘It’s a floor. The only bit that won’t will be where the joists cross.’

‘Well, yes, but … I’m trying to remember. Something loose, I think, that could be lifted. God, it was so long ago, I just can’t …’

He fell silent and Naomi fancied she could almost hear the cogs turning as he thought about it. ‘I’m on the wrong side,’ he decided. She heard him shuffling and tapping in a different place.

‘Yes!’

‘Found it?’

‘I just need something to …’ Keys jangled as he searched his trouser pockets, found the little multi-blade penknife that their young friend Patrick had given him for Christmas. ‘Just need to slide the blade down. There!’

She heard him lift something from the hole, metal scraping on wood as he caught the boards on either side. He came over to where she sat and dropped down on to the floor at her feet. ‘I don’t have the key but I think Patrick’s knife might get me in.’ He poked and scraped and levered and Naomi heard the lid break free of its catch and drop back against the floor.

‘Well? Talk to me. What do you see?’

Alec sat back on his heels and riffled through the contents. ‘It’s all a bit ordinary really,’ he said. He didn’t really know what he’d expected but felt oddly disappointed. ‘Just his passport and some insurance documents, for the house, it looks like and … well, there’s a couple of floppy disks and this.’

‘This? Can’t see, remember.’

‘A locket,’ Alec said. ‘Heavy, gold, engraved. Looks Victorian to me.’ He fumbled with the tiny catch. ‘There’s a lock of blonde hair inside.’ He closed it up and passed it to Naomi, watching as she fondled the oval shape and the heavy belcher chain.

‘Pretty,’ she said. ‘There’s some weight to it, too.’

‘Hmm.’

‘Something wrong?’

‘I don’t know. I suppose not. I just have the feeling that I’ve seen it before.’

‘Quite likely when you were here,’ Naomi commented. ‘You knew about the box, you probably saw what was inside. You’d have just forgotten, I expect.’

‘Oh, I’m sure you’re right. It just seems a little out of place.’

‘Could it have been a family piece? Rupert’s mother’s, something like that? It would probably be the right age to be a family piece.’

‘Likely so.’ He laughed. ‘I knew there’d be some floppy disks somewhere. The stick drive was just too much.’

‘Pity you can’t look at them. Your laptop doesn’t have a floppy drive, does it?’

‘No, a lot of the newer ones don’t. Still, I can have a read of what’s on the stick drive and I’ll bet the shop computer will have a floppy drive. I expect Marcus will be happy enough to let me use that.’

He took Naomi’s hand and pulled her to her feet. ‘More coffee,’ he said. ‘You get the kettle on again and I’ll dig out the laptop and I’ve got a phone call to make.’

‘Oh?’

‘Marcus gave me the name of the officer who dealt with finding Uncle Rupe. I’m hoping, as a professional courtesy, he’ll agree to meet us where Rupert was found.’

It’s disturbing, the way one drifts through life and never really thinks about what will happen when one is no longer there. All of the flotsam and jetsam collected through life will belong to someone else and all of the responsibilities passed on.

I hope I won’t leave too many of those but there are a few. I will, of course, do my best to sort the problems before I pass on, but as another birthday approaches far too fast, I realize that I really ought to set things in order.

Marcus has talked about making a will and I think I will make mine too. It will all go to Alec, of course. There is no one else, really. Elaine will be settled as I’ve always promised myself, but the rest can go to Alec. I loved the boy and I respect the man. I don’t know of many who have fulfilled all their youthful promise, but it seems to me that he has and it is good to know that even as we have both grown older there has been room for the occasional letter and that he is still capable of enjoying our humorous swipes at life.

So, I will make my will and leave it all to Alec and hope he has the sense to trust his old uncle and not to dig too deep into things not his, or by that time, my concern.

Seven

It had rained during the night but the temperature remained high and Naomi had not slept well. She and Alec had their breakfast on the terrace, the air heavy with the scent of roses and damp grass and filled with birdsong and the sounds of one very happy dog rolling in the damp grass.

‘Sure you’ll be all right?’ Alec asked.

‘I’ll be fine. I just want to laze for a while. Your taxi should be here in a few minutes. I’m going to sit here for a bit and then explore the house, on my own, no one to see when I forget where I am.’

Alec laughed. ‘I know when I’m not wanted but, Naomi, make sure you have your mobile with you all the time, just in case.’

His taxi arrived and Alec set off to retrieve his car from the pub where they’d had lunch the day before. Naomi continued to sit, enjoying the sun and the warm, fragrant air and debating whether or not she could be bothered to go and make herself more tea.

When the doorbell rang it took her by surprise.

‘Who on earth is that?’

Napoleon scampered back on to the terrace and Naomi stood irresolute. She wasn’t properly dressed yet, hadn’t bothered to do more than pull on sweatpants and a T-shirt, and it occurred to her that this might be some friend or acquaintance of Rupert’s who had not heard the news of his death.

The bell rang again, this time followed by loud knocking. Whoever it was didn’t seem about to go away.

Slowly, Napoleon at her side, she made her way back through the house. The banging had not ceased. Naomi decided she wasn’t keen on opening the door.

‘Hello, who is it?’

The banging stopped.

‘Hi, who’s there?’ Naomi asked again.

There was a pause, then: ‘I want to talk to the new owner.’

‘About what?’

‘Look, just open the door and let me in. I told you, I want to talk to the bloke Rupert left this place to.’

Naomi had decided she was definitely not going to let this man in but she felt stupid and childish talking through the door. She fumbled for the chain and fastened it in place before cracking it open just a little. ‘I’m afraid he isn’t available at the moment. If you’d like to leave a message …’