‘Sorry. I’m a bit edgy.’
‘Stands to reason. Smart bird like you. The first time’s always the worst.’
‘There isn’t going to be a next time. I’m looking for a map. I want to check something.’
Jason shone the beam from his phone on the opposite wall.
‘Like that one?’ he asked with a cocky drawl.
‘Yes,’ said Hannah. ‘Brilliant, that’s it.’ She crossed to the wall, shining the light on the old map. ‘Hell. I can’t see properly.’
It was much larger than she’d expected and a little too high on the wall for her to get a clear view. ‘Damn.’ She glanced over at Jason.
‘I’m going to have to take it down. Would you mind helping?’
‘Sure. You got gloves?
‘I’m only looking at it, not stealing it,’ she hissed, feeling a little sick now. Together they manoeuvred the map off the wall and laid it on top of the rather messy desk. Hannah peered down at it, trying to get her bearings but the beam wasn’t strong enough to cast enough light to enable her to see what she was looking for. She glanced towards the window. ‘I’m going to have to put a light on.’
‘That’s risky,’ said Jason. ‘But you’re in luck. These are good curtains.’ Without being asked, he drew the heavy red velvet curtains.
She took in a deep breath and switched on the light, then went back to the map. With her fingers she traced the familiar landmarks. ‘This is the house. The cottage. That’s the path down to the sea.’ She squinted, trying to find the boundary line of the estate. It wasn’t terribly clear and it took a while for her to find the pale-yellow line that ran over the field boundaries around the house and down to the sea. At the same time, she was trying to remember where Murphy’s fence was.
‘Gotcha.’ She said, shining her torch beam on the odd dogleg boundary line.
‘What are you looking for? Buried treasure?’
‘Not quite, but it could be quite a pot of gold for someone. I need to think.’
If this was the boundary line, Murphy’s fence was a clear incursion and it had puzzled her for ages as to why he would put a fence there but now she could see it. If Murphy owned that little pocket of land it would give him access to the main road. But he didn’t own the land; it belonged to the Byrnes – or rather it did until midnight.
‘You’re talking in riddles,’ Jason said when she explained.
‘See here,’ she pointed and then a door slammed somewhere inside the house.
They both froze, lifting their heads like startled birds poised to take flight.
‘Shit!’ said Jason.
‘Quick, get out of the window.’
He was already halfway across the room when he turned to look at her. ‘Come on.’
Hannah shook her head. ‘No, it’s all right. First offence. I’ll get away with it.’
He pulled an anguished face and she could see he was torn between not wanting to leave her to face the music on her own and understanding the logic.
‘Go,’ she hissed, flapping her hands and urging him towards the window.
Footsteps marched crisply down the slate floor outside. As quick as a weasel into a tunnel, Jason slid through the gap between the sill and the sash and vanished into the shadows.
There was no time for Hannah to turn off the main light or even attempt to hide so when Conor opened the door, she was waiting quietly, while he jumped.
‘Hannah, what—’ he said, puzzled at first and then rallying. ‘What the hell are you doing in here?’
She heard the suspicion in his voice. He clearly still thought the worst of her.
He glanced down at the desk and the map precariously balanced on top. ‘What are you up to?’
