The House on Cold Hill

41

After he ended the call, Ollie returned to the deeds, trying to decipher the increasingly illegible handwriting as they went back in time, steadily adding more names to the list of past owners of Cold Hill House. But all the time his mind was focusing on what he could say to his two major clients to recover the situation. He would have just one shot with each of them. It was going to need to be good. And so far he was still at a loss about what to say.

If he blamed being hacked he knew, in his current mood, that Cholmondley would blame him for having insufficient firewalls. So would Bhattacharya.

Suddenly he heard the click of the door and spun round. He was becoming scared of his own shadow, he realized. Caro came in, dressed in jeans, cardigan, sleeveless puffa and designer trainers. ‘I’m going off to Waitrose in Burgess Hill. Anything you can think of that we need?’

He wondered whether to tell her to wait for the vicar. But then decided it might be better, initially, for him to chat to the man on his own. ‘I’ll have a think — I’ll text you.’

‘And anything you fancy for supper tonight?’

He pointed his finger at her. ‘You!’

It had been a sign of affection between them, in answer to that question, ever since they had been together. But instead of her usual grin in response, she gave him a wan smile.

‘We’ve got Phoebe with us tonight, and all day tomorrow, too, as well as Ruari for lunch.’

‘Avocado and prawns for sups, and some grilled fish if you see something nice and not crazy money in the wet fish department? What about the kids?’

‘Jade’s said she wants pizza. I’ll pick some up. And I have a very specific chocolate ice cream order from her, too. For lunch tomorrow I thought I’d do a roast. Jade says she doesn’t want lamb — she’s been looking at the sheep on the hill. Beef or pork or chicken?’

‘Maybe pork?’

She nodded. Then she walked over and put her arms round his neck. ‘What was that conversation with Cholmondley about, darling? If there’s a problem it’s better if you share it with me.’

Maybe he should tell her, he thought. But she looked so strung out as it was. The vicar was coming shortly and she would be out. He’d seemed a wise man. Perhaps he could talk everything through with him, quietly, on their own. Man to man.

‘Everything’s OK, darling. We need more eggs, and we’re getting low on milk.’

She nodded. ‘They’re on my list.’

Five minutes later he saw her Golf head off down the drive, and was feeling bad for not telling her the truth. He read again the two emails that had gone to Cholmondley and Bhattacharya.

What the hell could he say to them?

Was something in here, looking down at him, having a laugh?

He returned to the deeds, and twenty minutes later had completed his search through them. Eighteen people had owned Cold Hill House since it was built, in the 1750s. Next he googled death registry websites, and signed up to one, for a fourteen-day free trial, called DeadArchives.com/uk.

Then he began the laborious task of entering each name in turn, from the bottom up. The information he got back was scant. It gave him the name, address and date of birth and death of each person, though little else. But it was sufficient.

He worked feverishly, speeding up even more as 11.30 approached. He was just looking at the names of the first owner in the nineteenth century when he saw a small, boxy-looking purple Kia coming up the drive.

He logged off then hurried downstairs, along the hall, and opened the front door, in time to see the vicar closing the door of his car, then carefully locking it. The vicar turned to see Ollie standing in the porch, and gave him a wave.

‘Would you like a drink?’ Ollie asked. ‘Tea, coffee?’

‘Builder’s tea would be very nice — milk, no sugar, thank you.’

Five minutes later they sat in the drawing room, facing each other on sofas. Fortinbrass, in jeans, a sweater with his dog collar beneath it, and stout brogues, sipped the mug of tea Ollie handed him. Ollie gestured to the plate of Penguins he’d laid out on the coffee table between them.

‘I’m tempted but I mustn’t, thanks — putting on a few too many pounds at the moment.’ Fortinbrass smiled. ‘This is such a very beautiful house,’ he said, looking up at the ornate cornicing moulding around the ceiling, and the grand marble fireplace.

‘It will be if we ever get the place finished!’

‘Well, I’m sure you will. It reminds me of the house I grew up in. My father was a vicar, also, and until I was fifteen we lived in a very grand rectory in Shropshire. I say very grand but it was a nightmare in winter because my father couldn’t afford to put the central heating on. I’m afraid we’re not paid very much in the clergy. We spent the winters of my childhood living in the kitchen, sitting as close to the Aga as we could get.’ He sipped his tea, then eyed the plate again, clearly wavering. ‘So tell me how you and your family are settling in here? You said on the phone that things were not all right?’

‘Yes — I — well, I thought it would be good to have a chat with you on my own.’

The vicar nodded, his face giving nothing away.

‘I went to see your predecessor, the Reverend Bob Manthorpe, as you suggested,’ Ollie said.

‘Good! And how is he?’

‘You didn’t hear?’

‘No — hear what?’

Ollie gave him the news.

‘Good Lord, that is so very sad. I only met him a few times. He seemed a very dedicated man — he—’

The vicar stopped in mid-sentence, looking distracted, staring at the doorway into the hall.

Ollie followed his gaze. He could see a shadow moving, very faintly, as if someone was hovering outside the door.

‘Do you have someone else living here, in addition to your wife and your daughter — I think you said daughter?’

‘Jade, yes, she’s twelve. No one else living here.’

Fortinbrass was staring again at the doorway, his face troubled. Ollie could still see the shadow, moving very slightly. He jumped up, strode out of the door and into the hall.

There was no one.

‘Very strange,’ Ollie said, walking back into the drawing room. Then he stopped in his tracks, and stared.

The vicar wasn’t there.