With the sea mist staying in past lunchtime, meaning the beach would likely be empty even if it cleared, Joan decided to have a “wild moment” and close the café for the afternoon. A few minutes later, Jason appeared in a bright red, battered Volkswagen Beetle and whisked Joan away for an afternoon of shopping in Truro. Grace regrettably turned down the offer to “be the pusher so that J can carry the bags”, deciding instead to head up to the library and continue her emailing blitz of local news sites and bloggers. With the mist turning to warm, August rain, the library had attracted several elderly locals and a handful of tourists. Grace hid herself away in a corner booth while they bombarded Paul Davis with questions.
About five o’clock, Paul came over to tell her the library was about to
