Page 18 of The Girl in the Woods

‘Good butchers,’ said Matt. ‘You won’t get a better steak.’

Ana smiled. ‘Is food all you talk about?’

‘No,’ he laughed, ‘just most of the time.’

Ana glanced at the yarn store on the corner. ‘Such a cute place.’

As they continued walking through the village, Matt stopped several times to talk to people or wave to others.

‘Is there anyone in this village you don’t know?’ asked Ana.

Matt laughed. ‘Yeah, loads.’ He glanced sideways at her. She was pretty enough to be a model, and he couldn’t help wondering why she had chosen to be a copper. ‘So how come you got sent here?’ he asked.

‘I requested a transfer,’ she said, stopping to stroke a dog.

‘From up north?’

‘You ask a lot of questions.’ She smiled.

Matt liked her. He hadn’t had a girlfriend since Jo. He hadn’t wanted all that aggravation again, but Ana might be worth it. ‘I’m a nosy sod.’

‘From Kirby, actually,’ said Anna. ‘I wanted to experience police work outside of Kirby. I felt like I spent most of me time breaking up fights at the footie, you know?’

‘I don’t think you’ll find it much more exciting here.’

‘We’ll see,’ she said ominously.

Matt was about to ask her what she meant when she spotted a man struggling to get a wheelchair over the high kerb and hurried towards him.

‘Let me help you,’ she said.

‘They’ve closed the bottom of the road,’ said the man. ‘The kerb is much lower there. Honestly, I can manage.’

‘She’s new,’ joked Matt. ‘Let her make a good impression.’

Ana pushed the wheelchair up the kerb, deliberately rolling it over Matt’s foot.

‘Touché.’ Matt laughed.

‘This is Tim Smith,’ said Matt. ‘Tim is part of our neighbourhood watch scheme.’

Ana smiled, but her eyes were on the woman in the wheelchair.

‘Ah,’ said Matt, remembering. ‘Did you hear that trail bike in the early hours, Tim?’

Tim straightened his rucksack, which had slipped when struggling with the wheelchair and shook his head. ‘Not this time. I wear earplugs these days. I’ve heard it before. Little buggers. Do you know who they are?’

‘We’re looking into it today. Have you ever seen any of them close up?’

‘You must be joking. The way they race through here, you never get to see their faces. They’re going to kill someone one of these days.’

Meanwhile, Matt noticed Ana was attempting to chat with the woman in the wheelchair.

‘It’s not one of her best days, I’m afraid,’ Tim said apologetically. ‘Some days, she’s more with it than others.’

Ana looked up. Tim was frowning, so she quickly backed away and let him take the wheelchair.

When he was out of earshot, Ana said, ‘What’s up with the old woman?’

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