22
As it turned out, I did see Adam again before he left Ashton Mead. It was a mild evening, and dry, so I walked to the pub after supper, hoping to see my friends. Adam’s car was still parked outside The Laurels. I rang the bell, wanting to say goodbye to him, but no one answered. I was pleasantly surprised to see him seated in the bar of The Plough with his father. Hannah was sitting with them and they were all laughing. Seeing Hannah with Adam, I felt a stab of jealousy which I stifled at once. Hannah was free to be friendly with anyone she liked, and I was a mere casual acquaintance to Adam, a neighbour who had been kind to his father when most of the villagers treated him with suspicion. I had no more claim on his time than she did.
Catching sight of me, Richard stood up and pulled
