'I'm sorry, Boss, but we're drawing a loss on the maps. We've contacted the archives in Shrewsbury, but the manager is away and won't be back till Monday and most of the local libraries were too understaffed to check. Apparently they're struggling to get volunteers to work a Friday,' Gwilt said.

Neo shook his head, disappointment sinking through his stomach.

'Put it on the chase pile for Monday. We need those maps, Gwilt. Otherwise, it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

'We'll keep trying.'

'I know. Let me know if you find anything.'

Neo hung up, feeling guilty. He knew he was riding his team hard, but there was nothing else he could do. Frustration was eating him up. It felt like every step they took; they were taking two steps backwards.

'That didn't sound like good news.' Charlie passed a fresh cup of coffee to Neo whilst she sat on the settee next to him.

It was unusual to have someone in her rental cottage, but she found she rather enjoyed having him in her space. It was less cramped than she'd been expecting.

Neo cursed and ran a hand through his hair. 'It wasn't. They can't get hold of the maps until Monday.'

Charlie took a sharp intake of breath. 'That's three more nights, Neo.'

'I know, I know. We don't have the extra time.' He rose and started pacing the room.

'It will be a miracle if we find them alive now, never mind after another three nights.' Neo looked at her sharply and she held up her hands in surrender. 'We have to be realistic. The longer they're left exposed the slimmer the chances.'

Neo wanted to argue, but it was the sad truth. The longer people were missing; the higher the chance of them being found dead. He didn't want to look up the facts because he knew they would not be great reading for this case.

'We need a bloody map that's worth a damn,' Neo growled.

'But if we can't get one from the archive or public libraries, where the hell are we supposed to get one from? There aren't any museums on local history in or around Marton. I know, I've scoured the internet for one,' Charlie admitted.

The mug almost slipped from Neo's grasp as he shot to his feet.

'I think I have an idea.' He grabbed her hand, only pausing so that she could put her own drink down.

Charlie settled into the passenger seat of Neo's car, watching as he raced towards town.

'And this idea is?' she questioned him.

Neo tapped on the steering wheel as he overtook a slow-moving tractor.

'You said that Sebastien Felton built Felton Manor and half the town. Do you think that would include the Sailor's mate?'

Charlie's gaze intensified as she thought. 'It could be possible. Sebastien Felton made his money in shipping, well, questionable cargo.'

'Slaves.'

Charlie nodded curtly. 'Could be where the pub got its name. But what has this got to do with your idea?'

'Have you ever been in the snug upstairs?' He watched her shake her head.

'When I lived here, the upstairs was family only.'

'When Rob and Babs extended the original building, they turned the upstairs into a hotel of sorts and the snug, which would have been the publican's quarters, was turned into a place they and their staff could relax, along with staying guests.'

'And you think there is something in the snug that could help us?'

'There could definitely be something in the snug that could help us.' Neo didn't elaborate further as he pulled up outside the pub.

Charlie wanted to ask more, but Neo was already slamming his door shut. She scrambled to catch up with him as he strode into the pub. Every eye in the place watched them as they marched to the bar.

'Rob, we need to see the snug.'

The publican scratched at his balding head with a perplexed expression. 'Go ahead.'

Charie felt Neo grip her hand as he dragged her towards the stairs. He was so focused on the snug that he failed to realise what his actions looked like, or the intense whispers it caused, but Charlie wasn't so lost. She turned back to see the half empty dining room tracking them with curious eyes and internally cursed.

He pulled her into the snug, finally releasing her hand.

'What the hell, Neo?' 

He frowned at her. 'What?'

She sighed in exasperation. 'At least a tenth of the population of Marton just saw you take my hand and lead me upstairs. Do you have any idea how this looks?'

Neo's lips pursed, and he cursed. 'Fuck.'

'You can say that again. You know the rumours that'll spread after this. Is there any chance that Palmer won't find out?'

He ran a hand over his hair, astounded by his own actions. 'That would be slim. She still has plenty of friends in town.'

'Then what are we going to do?'

Neo raised his head and saw her determined expression. He couldn't help it. He leaned forward and crashed their lips together before placing a more delicate one on her forehead.

'I'll take what's coming for me,' he mumbled. There was nothing else he could do. He'd made his feelings for Charlie public as far as everyone else was concerned downstairs.

Charlie gripped his arms. 'That isn't fair. You're a damn good officer, a good detective, Neo. You shouldn't be punished because of me. This isn't right.'

Neo shrugged, not as concerned with the threat he was facing as he thought he'd be.

'And you deserve to be on this case as much as I do.'

'It's not my job that's at stake, though, is it?' she argued. 'I should have stepped away. I shouldn't have gotten involved with you. By now you would have thought I'd learnt my lesson; everything good around me disintegrates Neo, and I never wanted to take you down.'

He was reminded of the same words Palmer had told him only a few days ago. Charlie had the power to burn them all. Only now Neo had got used to her flame, he wasn't sure he wanted to let it go.

He placed his hands on her face. 'I wouldn't have done anything differently. I don't know what we have, but I didn't realise how much I'd been merely surviving until you crashed into my world. You're like a spark of life, Charlie. You make a difference to people.'

'You're one of the few people I've ever let get close to me, Neo, and you're going to lose your career because of it. I don't understand how you could see me as anything other than a disaster that landed on your doorstep,' she gritted out.

'You're not a disaster, Charlie,' he urged. 'You're resilient, smart, feisty as the day is long, and most importantly, you're good.'

Charlie went to argue when the snug door opened and Babs walked in. They both jumped back as she waggled her eyebrows in their direction.

'Well, you two definitely got some tongues wagging downstairs. Good for you,' Babs approved.

'How bad is the damage?' Charlie asked.

Babs pulled a face. 'You couldn't have done it in front of a worse crowd. Half the WI and a yummy mummies' meeting. It'll be all over town in less than a day.'

'Fuck a duck,' Charlie mumbled under her breath whilst Neo grimaced.

'This is the last thing you needed today. I'm sorry Charlie.'

'Sorry won't put the cat back in the bag, Chief, no offence,' Babs pointed out. 'Why are you even here if you don't mind me asking?'

Charlie and Neo shared a look.

'Your map,' Neo replied, watching as Babs frowned and glanced at the wall.

'What would you want with that old thing?'

Neo stepped forward and took it off the wall. It was faded and covered in years of grime, but he could still make out most of the town and Felton Pond.

'We think it could help us find the Bennetts,' Neo replied honestly.

Her eyebrows shot straight into her blond hairline. 'Well, okay then, help yourself.'

Neo worked the hooks up at the back and pulled the frame away from the map.

'Look at the date,' Charlie whispered.

In faded letters at the corner of the map, 1796 barely stood out, a scribbled signature laying just below it.

'We found it in an old trunk when we extended the pub. It was with the original deed to this place. Rob thought it would be a good idea if we kept it. Memorabilia and all that, the new tourists eat it up.' Babs shrugged like she didn't really get it.

'Thank god he did.' Neo whistled. The map showed a handful of buildings around Felton Pond, not on their maps, along with several lines. 'What do you think these are?'

Babs peered at the map. 'We always thought they were public access paths.'

But Charlie was already shaking her head. 'Dashed lines have always marked public access. This is dotted.'

She pulled her laptop out of its case and set it up on the coffee table. After a few clicks, she pulled up a remarkably similar map, only much more modern. The buildings and lines were no longer there, but a road now cut between Felton Pond and the rest of Marton.

'There's no right of way on here, and no rivers either.' She twisted her computer so Babs and Neo could see.

'Could be tunnels,' Babs said, making Charlie and Neo's heads snap to her.

'Tunnels? What tunnels?' Neo demanded.

'Well, there have always been rumours of tunnels from Felton Manor to the town. A way for Sebastien Felton to bring his concubines to the house without his or his friend's reputation being damaged. Some people think it's the reason the war office had a covalence home here. Built in escape tunnels, should they need to.'

'I've never heard of them.' Charlie frowned.

'Me neither, till we took over the pub, but the older regulars love to talk about it after one too many pints.'

'What about during the extension? Did you find any tunnels?' Neo looked at the dotted line from the pub to where it disappeared off the edge of the map.

Babs bit her lip. 'I'm sorry, Chief, there was nothing. Our foundations were deeper than they should have been, but there were no hidden pathways. I shouldn't have said anything. It's probably just drunk speak,' she added, worried that she was leading them on a wild goose chase.

Neo looked over at Charlie, who was studying various different images she'd pulled up on her computer.

'What do you think?' he asked her.

Charlie blinked before looking back at him. 'It sounds like local rumours, but there's also this.' She pointed to a lightning bolt in a triangle on the new map. 'There's an electricity point a few metres away from the main road. It looks like it could line up with those dotted lines.'

'What's so odd about that? We've got one on the side of the pub,' Babs asked in confusion.

Charlie looked between her and Neo. 'The main road hasn't got lights on it, not until you're 2 miles passed the turnoff to Felton Pond.'

'And if there's no electricity out there...

'Then what's an electric point doing there?' Charlie finished for him.