Theresa understood from Imogen’s face that Roger let forth some nasty language.

‘Excuse me. You are holding another minor, thus preventing her from returning to her parents and her school. Therefore, while we’re at it, I will be informing the local police force, as well as the Met, Scotland Yard and Interpol, and anyone else who might be interested, that you currently are detaining a fifteen-year-old girl in your presence. A fifteen-year-old girl who should be at home with her mother in London. We might even call it kidnapping, Mr Muffett, which entails a hefty prison sentence . . .’

A brief diatribe from Roger.

‘I beg your pardon?’

Roger spoke again. His voice was clearly extremely agitated. It had risen in pitch, speed and volume, so that now even Theresa could hear the odd word.

‘I’m talking about Chloe Firbank. Yes, Mr Muffett. That is my daughter, Chloe. And she is fifteen years of age.’

Another rant down the line.

‘What do you mean, you have never even set eyes on Chloe? She is staying with you and Neil in your mansion or whatever it is you possess down here . . .’

To Theresa’s ear, Roger sounded so distraught and angry that it seemed as though he might be about to pop a blood vessel.

She actually heard the next sentences quite clearly:

‘It’s not a fucking mansion. It’s a bloody boat. The bitch got the fucking house, the fucking car, the lot. I’m living on a bloody boat!’

Despite the barrage of swear words Imogen was seemingly unruffled. ‘I don’t care if you’re living on board the wreck of the Hesperus, Mr Muffett, you will locate my daughter and you will return her to me in Bellevue-sur-Mer by seven o’clock this evening. You can bring her to the Hotel Astra, where I am staying. If she doesn’t arrive here by that time, I will have no other option but to call the police and have you arrested.’ She stabbed the call to an end and dropped the phone in her handbag. ‘And that, Mother, is how you deal with a runaway child.’

‘A boat.’ Theresa looked out at the harbour. She was full of misgivings. From what she gleaned from the call, Roger Muffett didn’t even know Chloe was actually staying with Neil. ‘And the father didn’t realise she was on board?’

‘So he claims. But he would be quite capable of lying about that, I’d think.’

For Theresa things started to fall into place. It would certainly explain both Chloe’s hunger and her desire for a shower this morning.

‘I really do think he might not have known, Imogen. When Chloe arrived here earlier, she was hungry, she had no money and she wanted a shower. If she had come from that boat . . .’