Dying Fall

better be going,’ she says. ‘Max is coming down tonight.’
    ‘Romantic evening in, eh?’ says Judy. Her tone is distinctly unfriendly. She picks Michael up and jiggles him against her shoulder. The yelling increases.
    ‘No,’ says Ruth, gathering up her bag. ‘We’re going out for a meal with Shona and Phil.’
    Judy knows how Ruth feels about Phil but she elects to take this as evidence of Ruth’s glamorous baby-free lifestyle. ‘It’s all right for some.’
    Ruth has had enough. ‘Bye, Judy,’ she says. ‘Take care of yourself.’
    Judy says, in a more conciliatory tone, ‘Do you think you
will
go to Lancashire?’
    ‘I’m not sure. I quite fancy the idea of a holiday but it’s a bit of a long drive.’ Judy looks at her over Michael’s fluffy dark head. ‘The boss is going to Blackpool for the summer. Did you know?’
    Ruth shakes her head.
    ‘You might all meet up on the beach,’ says Judy. ‘That would be fun.’
    *
    Ruth drives to King’s Lynn to collect Kate and then heads off home. She’s tired from the day’s digging and can’t, offhand, think of anything she’d like less than squeezing herself into smart clothes and going out for a meal with her boss and his gorgeous partner. But when she’d toldMax he had been surprisingly keen. He’d even offered to come down early on the Friday night. Ruth looks at the clock on the dashboard. Six o’clock. Max might even be there now. He has probably bumped into Cathbad on the doorstep. Cathbad is babysitting tonight.
    She feels strangely disturbed by her visit to Judy. It’s not that she expected Judy to be enveloped in a happy cloud of baby love. She can remember the strange, disorientating days of early motherhood too well. But Judy seems odd, almost angry. Is she angry with Cathbad? Herself? With Ruth for being Cathbad’s friend and for having a child with a conveniently invisible father?
    And those text messages. At first Ruth had almost been able to convince herself that it was a joke, that some student had got wind of her possible visit and was trying to wind her up. But last night’s message, coming just after all those creepy stories about ravens, had chilled her to the core.
You have been warned
. Who is warning her and why? And Nelson’s policeman friend thinks that Dan might have been murdered. Should she tell Nelson about the texts? She probably should but she shrinks from it somehow. One way and another, she’s needed Nelson’s help rather a lot over the last few years. She doesn’t want to play the damsel in distress again. It’s not a flattering look for a twelve-stone woman. She takes the turn onto the Saltmarsh road, over-steering slightly and coming dangerously close to the ditch. Get a grip, Ruth. Being rescued by the AA would be only one step up on being rescued by Nelson.
    As she approaches her cottage, she sees Cathbad’s ancient Morris parked by the long grass. Max hasn’t arrived yet. A wave of what she doesn’t want to acknowledge as relief sweeps over her. It’s just because I’m tired, she thinks.
    Kate wakes up as soon as she sees Cathbad.
    ‘Piss,’ she shouts ecstatically.
    ‘Peace, Hecate,’ says Cathbad, leaning in to release her from her car seat. ‘I’m going to look after you tonight.’
    ‘Please don’t teach her any more words,’ says Ruth.
    ‘Words are power,’ says Cathbad.
    ‘I think I can do without the power of piss,’ says Ruth, opening the door.
    Ruth makes tea while Kate and Cathbad play on the floor with stickle bricks. Flint watches from a safe distance. It’s all so cosy that Ruth finds herself wishing that she wasn’t going out that evening. That she and Cathbad could get a takeaway and watch
Have I Got News For You
after Kate has gone to sleep.
    ‘When’s the demon lover arriving?’ asks Cathbad.
    ‘Any minute,’ says Ruth, not bothering to rise. She sits on the sofa, fiddling with her phone. It’s a smart model, new last year and she still hasn’t plumbed the depths of its powers. Cathbad watches her from across the room.
    ‘What’s up?’
    It’s no good; Cathbad’s extrasensory powers have been awakened.
    ‘I saw Judy today.’
    Cathbad doesn’t react, just carefully balances a red brick on top of a blue brick. Kate undoes them again.
    ‘How was she?’ he asks.
    ‘Fine. The baby’s lovely. He’s …’ She pauses, clicking random buttons on the phone.
    ‘What? Ruth, what is it?’
    Ruth looks up. ‘He’s called Michael.’
    Cathbad’s