Right through that lunch, though, she remained much more upbeat than she had been at our previous meeting. And I was left asking myself: Was it just her mother’s death that had made her so cheerful? Or the reappearance in her life of her absent father? Or something else?

‘Hello, it’s Niall Connor.’ There was more than a hint of Irish in his voice, which had the relaxed, deep tone of a professional charmer. ‘I assume that’s Ellen Curtis.’

‘You assume correctly.’

‘Good. “SpaceWoman” had me expecting Svetlana Savitskaya.’

I had got used to most of the witticisms surrounding the company name (for which I have to thank Ben originally), but only a journalist would have referenced the Russian cosmonaut.

‘Well, I’m afraid you’ve got me,’ I said.

‘I am very fortunate to have got you.’ It was a cheesy line, but his air of sending himself up took the edge off it. ‘Alex told you I might call?’

‘She did.’ I wondered if he’d always called her ‘Alex’. Or if he’d ever spoken to her before her that week?

‘It is, needless to say, in relation to Ingrid Richards’ death that I’m calling. You know my connection with …?’

‘Ingrid told me.’

‘Right. Well, that was all a long time ago, but I’m surprised by how much I have been shaken by the news about Ingrid. We did see a lot of each other for a while and, of course, I had great admiration for her as a journalist.’

‘I’ve been reading the obituaries,’ I said. ‘I didn’t know the half of her achievements.’

‘No. Once Ingrid had been created, they broke the mould.’

‘Yes.’ There was a silence. ‘So, what do you want to ask me?’

‘I wonder,’ he said, ‘would it be possible for us to meet?’

‘I don’t see why not. But you’re based in London, aren’t you?’

‘Yes, Primrose Hill. But the thing is, Ellen, my wife Grace and I also have a country place, down near Petworth.’

‘Ah.’

‘And you’re Chichester, are you not?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, listen, here’s a suggestion. Grace and I are driving down to Petworth this evening. Might you be able to join us for lunch there tomorrow?’

Normally, I try to keep my weekends free of work. But was talking to Alexandra Richards’ father work or not? The way I saw it, I was being offered an opportunity to find out more about a subject with which I was becoming increasingly intrigued.

Ingrid Richards’ death.

I agreed to the lunch.

ELEVEN

I use the satnav a lot in the Yeti. West Sussex contains some substantial towns but outside them the population density is a lot thinner. There are few house numbers and lots of house names. I pride myself on punctuality and keying a postcode into the satnav is the best way of ensuring it.

Petworth’s a pretty little town which spreads out from Petworth House and Park, now owned by the National Trust. A bit like Arundel, it’s a great place if you want to buy an antique brass warming pan or a cream tea, but is not so well stocked with essentials. For their basic shopping, most residents drive their SUVs to supermarkets in less genteel parts of the county.