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club of some sort, became very rural. We came to a place where the road veered off to right or left, with no signposts and no hint of which way we might want to go.
    â€˜Darling, I’ve no wish to damp your spirits, but it’s going to be quite dark soon. I think we’d best be heading back.’
    â€˜I think you’re right, much as I hate to admit it. But wait a minute. I want to see what this little lane leads to. It looks as though it should end at some special place.’
    Moving ahead of Alan, I found that what it led to was a pocket garden. Nightfall was, as Alan said, not far away, so I couldn’t see many details. Scents, of roses and other flowers I didn’t know, perfumed the air. Crickets chirped. The scene was one of absolute peace and contentment.
    Except that someone was sitting at the far corner of a large central flower bed. It had a low wall around it, and the figure was just visible in the diminishing light. It sat quite still, bowed in an attitude of utter despair. I heard one stifled sob.
    I turned away as quietly as I could, took Alan’s arm and headed with him back up the road.
    â€˜Should I have tried to help?’ I asked Alan as we were getting ready for bed.
    â€˜My love, that’s impossible to say without knowing more than we do. I didn’t see the person at all. Was it a man or a woman?’
    â€˜I couldn’t tell. It was getting darker by the minute. All I could see was a hunched-up shape; all I could hear was a sob. I felt I shouldn’t intrude on such grief, but maybe …’
    â€˜You did what you thought was right at the time. If the person had wanted comfort, he or she wouldn’t have gone so far off the beaten path. Stop fretting about it and come to bed.’
    I crawled in beside him. ‘It isn’t just that. It’s been … quite a day.’
    â€˜Better tomorrow.’ He yawned and reached out his arm to draw me close. Just before I slipped over the edge into deep sleep, an idea tried to swim up into my consciousness, but I was too far gone to catch it.
    The morning dawned (far too early) on another perfect day. We had another great breakfast, and I thought again about my waistline. Actually I no longer have a waistline, but I do believe there used to be one, years ago. At home I eat more or less sensibly, but when I’m travelling, it’s harder to resist temptation. Oh, well. Alan and I would walk most of the day, and I’d work it off.
    I told myself.
    â€˜Shall we go back to the information centre and see if there’s something special we should be doing today?’ Alan suggested as I finished brushing my teeth.
    â€˜What sort of special thing would be happening in a place this size? It’s not exactly the crossroads of the world.’
    â€˜We might be surprised. A close-knit community makes its own entertainment, and it’s often interesting to visitors as well. There were quite a number of notices posted at the centre, but I didn’t bother to read them yesterday.’
    â€˜We might as well check, then. If there’s nothing more interesting, we can always take another walk. Not along the cliffs.’
    Alan gave me the sort of look that meant I didn’t need to say that.
    We stepped out of our front door and nearly collided with Constable Partridge. We exchanged apologies. Alan asked, ‘Were you coming to see us?’
    â€˜No, sir, but I’m glad to run into you, all the same.’ He grinned. ‘In a manner of speaking, that is. I thought you’d both like to know that we have notified the American Embassy of Mr Abercrombie’s death, and they are in touch with the police at his home city in Ohio. As soon as we know what family he had, we can contact them to find out what they wish done about his burial.’
    â€˜You’re ready to release his body, then?’ I asked in some surprise.
    â€˜There’s no reason not to.’
    That was the