25. Invasion of the Boffins

25

Invasion of the Boffins

The car park was full of lorries. As another came rumbling down the lane, Tiffany stepped out into its way and put up a hand. Josie, standing by the reception cabin, watched as her daughter opened her palm to the driver and said, ‘Parking is a fiver per day.’

‘Oh, right,’ came a man’s voice, and a hand stuck out, passing something to Tiffany. As the van rumbled on, Tiffany wandered over to Josie.

‘Here’s another,’ she said, handing over a crumpled five-pound note. ‘Add it to tonight’s drinking fund.’

‘How many is that?’ Josie asked.

‘Nine,’ Tiffany said. ‘Including the BBC journalists that showed up. Oh, and that guy from National Geographic wants an interview.’

‘With me? Why?’

‘He wants your first impressions of the cave,’ Tiffany said.

‘All right, well, I suppose we can schedule him in later. I have to go and see Hilda this morning.’

‘Oh, and Robinson called.’ Tiffany grinned. ‘I think he wants to ask you out on a date.’

‘I’m too old for that.’

‘Mum, you know that middle age officially starts from fifty these days? That means that you’re still young. Go on, do something crazy.’

‘I’ll think about it.’

Tiffany had some work to do on the computer, so Josie headed down into the campsite to see how the archaeological teams were getting on. The story hadn’t broken yet, but Robinson had notified several of his scientist friends, and teams had come down from the British Museum and Oxford University, as well as the British Archaeological Society. Apparently the Cornish Archaeological Society were also on their way, but had stopped for pasties and a cream tea down in the village.

Everyone on site had been asked to keep the discovery quiet until the full extent of what they had found was known, but Lindsay and Geoffrey had already told her family, while Nathaniel was now frantically carving a life-sized sculpture of a cave lion out of a piece of driftwood for it to be placed at the campsite entrance.

Groups of boffins holding clipboards stood near to the cave entrance, while another group descended into the depths to video and photograph everything. So far, according to Robinson, nothing had been touched or moved, but eventually most of it would be taken away for study and testing. However, it was quite likely that a perfect replica would be installed in its place and the area turned into an open-air museum. Nathaniel had apparently already applied for planning permission to extend the access lane down into the forest.

‘Hey.’

Josie looked up. Robinson stood nearby, looking dishevelled but excited. Since the discovery yesterday afternoon, it didn’t look like he had either washed or slept.

‘You look a mess.’

‘I’ve been subsisting on ice cream for the last day or so. Sugar is the only thing keeping me awake.’

‘Would a coffee help?’ What did I just say?

Robinson grinned. ‘I think it might.’

‘Uh … I’ve got some at my cabin.’

‘Sure.’

Josie found herself heading for her cabin with Robinson walking alongside. Her heart was thundering, trying to process what she had just said. The words had just slipped out, the connotations following after like a petulant child. As they reached her cabin, however, Robinson sat down at a picnic bench she had put outside.

‘I’m not in the best of conditions right now,’ he said with a grin. ‘I don’t want to get dirt on your carpet.’

‘It’s all right.’

Part of her felt relieved, part disappointed. She went inside and made some coffee, running over in her mind what she would say when she came back out. Tiffany said he had called for her. He seemed like a nice man, but was she really ready for any kind of involvement so soon after her divorce? Granted, she and Reid had been separated for years, but dredging it all up again for the benefit of the courts had left a sour—but expensive—taste in her mouth.

Even so, perhaps a few casual dates wouldn’t hurt, if Robinson were really interested. She felt a whimsical thrill at the thought of walking hand in hand on the beach, sitting in cafés eating ice creams and drinking coffee together, and Robinson was certainly more interesting than most men she had ever met, including her ex-husband.

Perhaps she could give it a go. Maybe things would work out.

She had gained a little spring in her step as she came out of the cabin, carrying two steaming cups of coffee on a tray. Just go with the flow, Josie, she told herself. Don’t put any pressure on yourself.

As she came down the steps from the cabin, however, she looked up and nearly dropped the tray in surprise.

Robinson was leaning over the table, head on his forearms, snoring soundly.

‘So do they think it’s all real?’ Hilda asked, sitting up in the hospital bed, popping grapes into her mouth one by one.

‘According to Robinson, they’ve carbon-dated some of the bones back to around eleven thousand B.C.,’ Josie said. ‘It was previously thought that the cave lions died out near the end of the last ice age when their main food sources became scarcer. However, this discovery completely flips that, proving that at least some of them survived. Also, the bone structure of the two in the chamber is slightly different to those of any existing skeletons.’

‘Meaning they were bred?’

‘It looks like it. It could be one of the earliest known examples of animal husbandry.’

‘Wow, that’s amazing. What about the guy?’

‘They think he was a tribal king of some kind. Some of the pottery has traces of rock only found much further north, suggesting the tribe might have been involved in some kind of invasion, or even trade.’ She smiled. ‘Robinson said—’

‘It sounds like you’ve been spending a lot of time with Robinson of late.’

Josie felt herself blushing. ‘We went for dinner last night, in the pub. Just for him to give me a few updates on what’s going on.’

‘Updates,’ Hilda huffed. ‘Is that what you call it now?’

‘Yes, just updates.’ Even as she said it, Josie found herself smiling. ‘Although … we shared a couple of glasses of wine too.’

‘Just admit it. You like him.’

Josie shrugged. ‘It’s difficult not to like him. I mean, he’s handsome, and he’s so interesting. I’m just not sure … I’m not sure that I’m ready.’

‘You deserve a bit of good luck after all you’ve been through.’ Hilda put a hand over Josie’s. ‘I want to know that you’re happy, before … before I die.’

‘You’re not going to die!’

‘Well, not yet. But maybe it’s not far off.’

‘Don’t say that. Have you got your results yet?’

‘They’re still running tests, but the doctor said I’ll have to start treatment in the next couple of weeks. I’m afraid we won’t be playing any games of table tennis for a while.’

Josie squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to cry in front of Hilda, but a rogue tear slipped out anyway, fleeing down her cheek.

‘Got something in your eye?’ Hilda asked.

‘Yeah,’ Josie said, sniffing.

‘Don’t worry about me. I’ve done my time. If the clock is about to run out, that’s fine. I’ve done everything I could have wanted with my life. I have no regrets. Except … well, I wanted to do the Eden Project zipline. Together.’

‘You really must be out of your mind. I’d have a heart attack halfway across. Probably not even that far.’

‘But what a way to go out.’ Hilda sighed. ‘It’s got to be better than this.’

It was Josie’s turn to pat Hilda’s hand. ‘Just stay strong,’ she said.