'Anne....Were you and Reg Dixon lovers ?' The question hung in the air, provoking a pregnant pause of elephantine proportions. Yaxley Farcett and Anne Worthington were still sitting together in a pew at the back of the Peace Chapel in Ealham Cathedral and Yaxley had decided to delve rather deeper into the woman's relationship with Dixon than he had intended. After what seemed like minutes, Anne Worthington took a huge breath and said, 'No...Well yes we were.....the first time he came to see me, in November'. She turned and looked Farcett in the eyes and added, '...but never again after that'. Yaxley kept steady eye contact with the woman, 
realising that this was a huge confession for her to make and said quietly, 'Why ? You carried on seeing each other didn't you ?' Anne took her eyes away from Farcett and stared down at the tissue she began to fidget with in her hands. 'You've got to understand my position. I've been married, happily married, for nearly thirty years and then I suddenly find myself drawn to this quiet young man. That first day when he came round to help me with my computer was something I'd never experienced before. It was like I'd been pulled into a Mills and Boon novel and I couldn't stop myself'. She paused to blow her nose again and looked round as a group of tourists stood in the doorway of the Chapel gazing at the ornate surroundings.
realising that this was a huge confession for her to make and said quietly, 'Why ? You carried on seeing each other didn't you ?' Anne took her eyes away from Farcett and stared down at the tissue she began to fidget with in her hands. 'You've got to understand my position. I've been married, happily married, for nearly thirty years and then I suddenly find myself drawn to this quiet young man. That first day when he came round to help me with my computer was something I'd never experienced before. It was like I'd been pulled into a Mills and Boon novel and I couldn't stop myself'. She paused to blow her nose again and looked round as a group of tourists stood in the doorway of the Chapel gazing at the ornate surroundings. 'Did you get scared after that ?' said Yaxley. Anne nodded vigorously, 'Of course I did. A middle aged woman in my position...It wasn't as if I would ever leave John. Reggie and I decided to 
somehow wipe from our memories that we had ever succumbed to temptation and agreed to meet each other to share our mutual interest in computing and local history and agriculture, but that was as all it was. The Thompson's Wood scandal I uncovered only put our relationship on an even more platonic footing. In fact from the end of January until yesterday we were more like business partners, trying to work out how to resolve the problem without bringing shame onto the village and the families involved'.
somehow wipe from our memories that we had ever succumbed to temptation and agreed to meet each other to share our mutual interest in computing and local history and agriculture, but that was as all it was. The Thompson's Wood scandal I uncovered only put our relationship on an even more platonic footing. In fact from the end of January until yesterday we were more like business partners, trying to work out how to resolve the problem without bringing shame onto the village and the families involved'. Yaxley considered this for a moment. He was intrigued by the idea of Reg and Anne sharing, no doubt, unbridled passion and then instantly reaching a committee decision to 'just be friends'. The actions of a dedicated member of the Historical Society and the WI, he thought. 'What exactly did you and Dixon do with your information ?' he asked. 'Well' replied Anne, 'We didn't go to the Police, if that's what you mean. We tried to persuade Mr.Morgan and Mr.Trent to simply reverse what they had done in the first place...to revert the ownership of the land back to the council.We also began to hold meetings to try to get the planning application for the Manure Burning Power Station blocked. After all, if we stopped that, they wouldn't stand to profit anyway. We took the view that the two men had transferred the land to themselves in a moment of weakness and we had no wish see them suffer for it'. Strooth, thought Yaxley, this woman is unreal. It was pretty obvious to him what was going on after even the most 
casual of glances at the information. Then he remembered the threatening E-Mail that Trent had sent to Dixon the day before the murder.
casual of glances at the information. Then he remembered the threatening E-Mail that Trent had sent to Dixon the day before the murder. 'Anne, what lengths do you think Trent would go to, to stop Dixon exposing him as a fraudster ?' She began to cry again, this time, huge shoulder jerking waves of tears, which this time she could not hold back. 'Trent...and Reggie had a fight in the Skaters car park the night before he died. Trent said he knew we had been lovers for months and said he was going to the farm to tell John the whole sordid truth the next morning'. She began to struggle for breath as she tried to speak between sobs...'but I told you...we were only friends...it was only once...', and she collapsed into Yaxley's arms as his mobile phone began to ring.
