‘What was all that about?’ Perez played the game. Let Sandy prolong his moment of triumph.

‘I know what happened to the money Angela withdrew from her bank.’

‘Well?’ It wouldn’t do to show impatience. That only made Sandy worse.

‘She didn’t have another account in her own name; she paid the cash into a third person’s. She had the number and the sort code.’ He paused. ‘You’re really going to like this! It was Hugh Shaw’s account. For some reason she paid him two thousand five hundred quid.’

‘Why would she do that?’ Perez didn’t expect a useful answer. Again he was musing to himself.

‘Could it be something to do with the baby?’

‘You mean she bought Hugh’s sperm?’ Perez looked up. He found himself faintly disgusted by the idea. ‘But we have no evidence that they knew each other before he came to the North Light.’

‘They must have known each other,’ Sandy said. ‘You don’t give thousands of pounds to a stranger.’

‘He could have been blackmailing her,’ Perez said. ‘But what about? Not her sexual exploits. They seem to have been common knowledge.’

‘Only among birdwatchers and some of the islanders,’ Sandy said. ‘Maybe the field centre trustees would have been less than pleased to hear she was seducing her younger staff. Couldn’t that be seen as sexual harassment? Probably against the law.’

‘Only one way to find out,’ Perez said. ‘We’d better chat to young Hugh Shaw. See what he has to say for himself.’ He started the engine and drove too quickly up the narrow track. He remembered Fran and Hugh standing in the kitchen. He told himself there could be no real danger, but he wanted to know she was safe.