慣hanks, but I抎 better get back for Bruno. The dog-walker brings him home at six. Michelle抯 away.?
In that case, thinks Ruth, there抯 nothing to stop Nelson coming back later. He could even bring Bruno with him （sorry, Flint）。 She wonders if Nelson is thinking the same thing. But neither of them says anything and, after admiring Kate抯 art extravagantly, Nelson gets up to leave.
Cathbad has also cooked pasta although, in his case, it comes adorned with courgette spirals and broccoli florets. The children eat quickly, they are used to their father抯 culinary prowess, but Judy savours each mouthful. She finds cooking very tedious and she knows that preparing meals every day would soon drive her to distraction. But Cathbad actually seems to enjoy it. Thing is leaning against Judy抯 legs, looking up at her lovingly, although he抯 not much of a broccoli fan. It抯 dark outside but there are signs that spring is returning; a bunch of daffodils on the table, a school newsletter trumpeting about Easter bonnet competitions.
When Michael and Miranda have drifted away, Cathbad pours Judy a glass of wine and asks about her day.
慖t was OK. I had to tell the boss that I thought his potential murder was probably still a suicide. And Ruth excavated a skeleton in Tombland.?
慠eally? A medieval skeleton??
慖 think so. I just saw the report. I抦 pretty sure Nelson will follow it up.?
慖抦 certain he will,?says Cathbad.
There抯 a short silence while they both think about Nelson and the reasons why he will be interested in this particular archaeological discovery.
慖t抯 a very haunted place, Tombland,?says Cathbad. 慥ery spiritual but also very troubled.?
慖 know about the Grey Lady,?says Judy. 慉nd the ghost that haunts the Maid抯 Head. Is that grey too? The Grey Maid??
慖 had a friend who worked at the Maid抯 Head,?says Cathbad. 慉nd he says the Maid is a friendly presence. There抯 a former mayor who抯 more troublesome. The Grey Lady is a sad spirit though. I saw her once.?
Judy isn抰 surprised by this sort of thing any more.
慦hen was that??
慖t was when I was first in Norfolk. I took a shortcut through Tombland Alley on my way back from the pub. It was autumn and there were leaves on the ground. A woman in a long, grey dress was walking in front of me. I assumed she was in fancy dress ?it was near Hallowe抏n ?but then she turned and seemed to go through a door. When I got to the place, there was no door there, just a brick wall. Then I realised that her long skirt hadn抰 made any noise as she walked through the fallen leaves.?
The detail in this story makes it unexpectedly chilling: the pub, the leaves, the door that wasn抰 there. Judy says, 慚aybe there was another door that you didn抰 see.?
慚aybe,?says Cathbad equably. 態ut there isn抰 always a rational explanation, you know.?
Judy secretly disagrees. 慏idn抰 the Grey Lady live in a house that was boarded up because of the plague??she says. 慣hat抯 a horrible story. Thank God things like that don抰 happen any more.?
But Cathbad doesn抰 answer this. He changes the subject and starts to talk about Thing. After a few minutes?dog chat, they clear the table and go to join the children.
Nelson can hear Bruno barking as soon as he turns into the cul-de-sac. The wretched animal has been on his own for barely more than an hour. He hopes the neighbours won抰 start to complain.
Bruno gives him a hero抯 welcome, whining ecstatically and running upstairs to find a suitable gift. He comes back with one of Michelle抯 bras. Nelson thanks him and extracts the garment, which he hangs on the banister. Then he goes in search of food.
Michelle went to Blackpool two days after George抯 fourth birthday on February the fifteenth. She left Nelson with enough ready meals to last two weeks. As he extracts a chilli con carne from the freezer, he thinks of Samantha Wilson putting her Weight Watchers?meal in the microwave. What was she thinking when she pierced the plastic wrapping? 慐nsure food is piping hot before eating.?Piping hot. A curiously old-fashioned phrase, like something Nelson抯 mother might say. Why didn抰 Samantha eat her hot food? Why did she go upstairs, lie down on her bed and take an overdose of sleeping pills?