Chapter 197: Her Enemy's Promise, Part 17, Remembrance

MICHAEL

James interrupts my gardening. "You seen Charlotte?"

"She said she was going for a walk." I nod along the road. "She went that-a-way." I straighten up, pressing hands into my lower spine. "Actually, now I think about it, her tone was a bit odd."

"You look as if you've done enough for a while. Want to take a break and stretch your legs?"

"Good idea. I'll just tell Chad we're going out."

I find him inside, paint bucket in hand, slapping emulsion on a bedroom wall. "James and I are just going for a walk. I don't think we'll be long."

He cocks an eye at me, his expression assessing. "You might like to know that Mr Kalkowski is buried nearby, in the churchyard."

"He is? I thought..."

"He had no traceable family, so he stayed here. Some of the holier-than-thou churchy types tried to kick up a fuss about it, but Mrs Collier kicked up a bigger fuss and they found a space for him."

"Gotcha."

He moves to the window and points a long finger along the road; the same dir