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balanced on the other hip. Hens pecked around in the bushes.
    That was all Hannah had ever seen in the picture. But now she saw that in the background was a long, low shed, surrounded by bushes.
    “Which shed is that?” asked Lottie.
    “I don’t know. How weird. I’ve never noticed it before.”
    “Maybe it’s on another farm.”
    Hannah held the picture closer to the light. “No, look, that’s the wood behind. And those look like the orchard railings. So she must be standing in North Meadow.”
    “But there’s no shed around there now, is there?”
    Hannah shook her head. Then she opened her eyes wide and stared at Lottie. “Unless…”
    “What?”
    But Hannah was already halfway out the door, the picture in her hand. “Come on! We’ve got to see!”
    She ran across the hall and into the gloomy back passage, her heart racing. If they went out this way, they were less likely to bump into anyone and be waylaid with chores.
    But as they passed the kitchen, she heard a plaintive, “Hannah, is that you?”
    She stopped. “I’ll just check he’s OK.”
    Sam was sitting at the big table in the middle of the kitchen. He had cleared a space amid the piles of unironed laundry, unopened post and oily tractor parts and was drawing a large picture of a tractor pulling a plough.
    “Oh, Sam, that’s lovely,” said Hannah.
    Sam looked up proudly. “It’s a Kverneland 4 Furrow Reversible.”
    “Wow. Well done.”
    “What’s for tea?”
    Hannah shot a hand to her mouth. “Blast, I forgot to get the casserole out of the freezer.”
    “I’m starving.”
    “Sorry, Sammy. We’ll have to have scrambled eggs again. Have you collected the eggs?”
    Sam nodded. Hannah looked at the clock. Was it really five already?
    “I’ll be back in a second, Sam.”
    Lottie followed her out to the scullery.
    “Sorry, Lottie, I’ve got to get tea.”
    Lottie’s eyes widened. “No way!”
    “But if we go out now,” Hannah whispered, “someone’s going to come looking for me and then they’ll all find out and then it’s all over. You saw what Dad was like. If we do find anything, we’re going to have to keep it secret.”
    Lottie groaned in frustration. “But if we’re going to enter the festival, we have to send the entry form tomorrow, remember? With the name and address of our theatre on it.”
    Sam’s voice came from the kitchen. “Hannah! I’m really, really hungry.”
    “Coming!” She lowered her voice. “Can you come up later?”
    “Sure.” Lottie’s mum worked in London. She didn’t get home until late, and even when she was athome she was too tired to notice where Lottie was most of the time.
    “Meet me by the orchard fence. I’ll say I’m taking Tess for a walk.”
    They jumped back as the scullery door opened. “Hello,” said Jo, kicking off her boots. “What’s for tea? I’m starving.”
    “Scrambled eggs.”
    “ Again? ”
    “Sorry. Casserole tomorrow.”
    Jo went into the kitchen. Hannah shut the door.
    “Seven thirty,” she whispered. “And bring a torch.” 

Chapter Seven
The Search
    The farmyard was pitch-black except for a dim light in the pig shed. Through the darkness came muffled grunts and snuffles from the sties. Hannah heard the distant clanking of buckets and her father’s voice saying, “There you go, old girl. That’ll sort you out.”
    She couldn’t risk switching her torch on yet. She let her eyes adjust to the dark and then she crept through the yard and on to the track.
    A sudden shriek pierced the night and made her gasp.
    Only a Little Owl, she told herself. Get a grip.
    She ducked under the fence into North Meadow and climbed on to the orchard railings to wait for Lottie.
    It was a really dark night. No moon and no stars. She was still too near the pigsties to use her torch. The icy wind cut right through to her skin. She pulled her scarf up over her mouth.
    What was that?
    Something rustled in the long grass at the edge of the field. All Hannah’s muscles