Neo took out his frustrations by kicking a tire on his now immobile car. The unusual clunking noise had been the first sign that something was wrong, then the engine light flashed on and finally the car had chugged as far as it could go.

He pulled out his phone, but the no signal sign stared back at him. Cursing his stupidity, he pushed it angrily back into his coat.

Popping the hood, he left the car to investigate, wishing that Gwilt had been with him. Unfortunately, Gwilt had been manhandled by his wife into accompanying her to Bethy's 12 week injections. Something they'd already had to put off once.

Neo had agreed easily, knowing it would likely only be for an hour or two, but now he wished he'd asked them to rearrange.

He looked at the engine, a combination of tubes, nuts and parts that he could only guess at. Gwilt was the car man, not him. Neo had zero understanding other than the contraption could get him from A to B.

His ears picked up on the familiar sound of tires bouncing along the dirt track back the way he'd come.

He straightened and leaned around his car, hoping to see the friendly face of his DS, but the large jeep was not one he knew.

'Fancy seeing you here, Chief.'

Neo internally groaned as he looked at the smiling face of Charlotte Hoggins. He wondered why fate hated him so much.

'Looks like you're having a spot of car trouble.' Charlie laughed, cutting her engine and stepping out of the jeep.

'Nothing I can't handle,' Neo lied.

Charlie rolled her eyes as she peered at his open engine.

'What's the problem?'

'Well, if I knew the problem, don't you think I'd have fixed it by now,' growled Neo, not able to keep his anger in check. It had been a long few days and his manners were being severely tested by the Hoggins woman.

Charlie pursed her lips. 'I meant why did you stop in the first place?'

Neo felt like an ass, but resisted the urge to apologise. Though the woman didn't deserve his anger, he couldn't forget that she was the one trying to push her way onto his investigation.

'The car started spluttering and shaking a few miles back and then just died. Now every time I turn the engine on it shakes for a few seconds before dying again.'

'Okay, I think I know what's causing it.' Charlie disappeared into the jeep's boot and came back with an old battered tool box. She picked up a long screwdriver and headed towards his car.

Neo's hand shot out before he could think better about it. 'Just what do you think you're going to do?'

Charlie shrugged away from his arm, throwing him a death glare that made him realise he'd overstepped his boundaries.

'Get in the car and turn the engine over when I say.' Was all she said before leaning over his engine.

Not knowing what else to say, Neo followed her instructions, turning the engine over three times on her command.

'So what's the verdict?' Neo slammed the car door and stomped back to the front of the car.

'Your fuel injectors are faulty.'

'Can you fix them?' he asked.

Charlie packed the screwdriver away. 'Nope, you'll have to call a garage.'

Neo huffed. 'Perfect.'

'So can I give you a lift to Felton Manor in the meantime?'

Neo was about to answer when her words hit him.

'How'd you know I was going to the manor?' His gaze focused on her as she walked back to her Jeep.

Charlie snorted. 'Where else would you be going travelling along this track?'

'Then that's where you're going as well?' Neo felt stupid for not having realised it sooner.

'Obviously. You're more than welcome to join me.' She smirked, making Neo grumble under his breath.

'I don't think-'

But Neo never finished as Charlie rounded on him.

'You need to get to Felton Manor, your car is busted and I'm offering you a lift. Now you could wait until someone else comes along or you could just say yes.'

Charlie turned away and headed back to the driver's side.

It was the sound of her working engine that spurred Neo on.

'Okay. Okay.'

She raised her eyebrow as he settled into the seat next to her, but thankfully, said nothing.

The car ride was quiet and awkward, though Charlie didn't seem to notice. She hummed a song and tapped at the steering wheel, content to just drive. The only good thing for Neo was now he had ample opportunity to try to figure out Charlotte Hoggins.

He studied her out of the corner of his eye. Once again, her hair was piled messily on top of her head. Her oversized jumper fell to her thigh, but she'd replaced her ripped skinny jeans with a pair of black leggings that clung to her frame like a second skin. A pair of sturdy walking boots finished the look.

'So how did a bartender go from behind the bar to working for the British Secret Service?' Neo had hoped his direct questions would put Charlie off.

Her reaction confused him as she sent him a lopsided smirk.

'How did a junior detective, on track to becoming a Superintendent in the Met, end up in the sticks? Guess we all have our secrets, don't we, Chief?'

Neo schooled his expression when inside he was reeling. No one in Marton knew of his previous history with the Met. To them, he was just another officer that had transferred. They didn't realise what he'd turned down in order to come to Marton.

'Should I be surprised that you've done your research?' Neo said.

'All's fair Chief. Knew you'd be looking into me so I just returned the favour.'

The dirt track opened up and Charlie pulled a large circle around the dried up water fountain.

'Welcome to Felton Manor.' Charlie cut the engine and the sound of silence was deafening.

They stepped out, what remained of the gravel pathway crunching under their feet.

Neo stared up at the manor, noting the sagging roof and smashed through windows. The grand chimneys teetered to the side, with one crumbling away altogether.

'This place can't be safe,' Neo muttered under his breath.

Charlie turned. 'Don't worry, I promise to keep you safe.' And then she winked.

Neo blustered and strolled towards the door and pushed, expecting it to give way.

'It's no good. The door is barracked from the inside,' Charlie called, already walking away.

Neo raced to catch up with her.

'How'd you know that?' He raised his eyebrow at her blush.

'No doubt you read my file. I wasn't exactly a stranger to bending the rules.'

Neo declined to commit. 'So how do we get in?'

'Back in the day, there used to be a broken widow, with a loose board at the rear of the house.'

He followed her, taking in the general disrepair of the place. It was a wonder that it hadn't been condemned.

Charlie paused, looking between two windows. Her gaze focused on the discarded items beneath the one and that decided her.

She stepped into the items, swinging herself up on the window ledge, and pushed at the board, pleased when it slid to the side.

The inside looked just as bad as the outside, possibly worse considering the peeling wallpaper and rotting floorboards.

'We're in the dining room. Through there is the main corridor which leads to the rest of the house and to the staircase.' Charlie pulled a torch from her backpack and clicked it on.

'How often did you used to come here?' It was obvious Charlie was no stranger to the house.

She led the way, popping her head into each room they passed, though both of them balked at the sight of the moldy kitchen.

'I hate this place. It was Lucy and Jane that loved coming here. They were obsessed with history.'

They took the first staircase slowly, and whilst the boards creaked beneath them, they held fast.

'Then you know a bit about this place?' Neo asked. He could honestly say that before this case, he'd never thought about the crumbling house very much. Though now it seemed important.

His own torch flashed on an ancient portrait that seemed to be managing well under the disrepair.

Charlie paused to look up at the austere face of the man in the portrait.

'That's Sebastien Felton. He's the man who built this place, or half of it, at least.'

'That's the one who's daughter was murdered.' No wonder the poor bastard looked unhappy in the picture, Neo thought.

'Ahh, so you've heard the tale of the lady in white?' Charlie waved her arms in a ghostly manner before cracking up.

'Not a believer in the paranormal?'

Charlie snorted. 'Not a chance. This place has a long and sometimes tragic history, but that has more to do with the people that lived here than evil spirits in my opinion.'

Charlie shone her flashlight at the range of portraits that lined the wall.

'Sebastien Felton built this, and most of the village, using a fortune that later descendents squandered. By the time World War II came along, they were practically penniless and then the war effort turned the house into a convalescence home for wounded soldiers.'

'Bet these lot weren't too happy with that.' He inclined toward the pompous fools in the portraits.

'Bingo, but they were crafty. During the war, they invested what little they had into munitions and wound dressings.'

Neo scratched at his head. 'So what happened to this place and all the money?' They must have made a fortune off the war.

Charlie pointed to the largest, most ornate picture of a smug looking young man.

'Nathaniel Felton happened and his gigantic hubris. He spent a large part of his fortune on restoring this place and extending the original house. But in later life, he became a paranoid recluse. He died in the sixties, fortune spent and no living relatives to take over the manor. For all his ego, his lasting monument now sits in ruin.' Charlie shrugged, but there was an air of righteousness about her. Whoever Nathaniel Felton was, she felt as though he was lacking.

'There's only one more floor left for us to look at. And so far no sign of any squatters, no sign of anyone,' Neo sighed. He'd hoped the search would have revealed something. A sign that the family had made it inside, or at least a squatter that might have seen something.

They both moved up the last flight of stairs, the damage on this floor much more extensive. In places, light streaked through the damaged ceiling, and Neo saw a few vines poking through the holes.

'Here we go. Take a look at this.' Charlie lifted a discarded coat and a sorry excuse for a pillow. 'Looks like there have been squatters recently.'

'Could still be here?' Neo said.

Charlie straightened and wandered around. Neo looked into some of the other rooms. One was completely exposed to the elements, the roof having caved in.

A stifled cry had him rushing back to Charlie. He spotted her in the door frame, a hand covering her mouth.

He rushed towards her but stopped at the sight that confronted him.

'I think we just found your squatter,' she muttered.

Neo swallowed and picked up his phone, dialing the station line.

'This is DCI Denzel, we've got a body at Felton Manor, suspected overdose.'

The needle managed to glint in what little light there was, where it stuck out of the kid's arm.

Neo and Charlie shared a look. Just what they needed, one missing family, and now a suspected overdose. What other secrets did this place hold?