‘Not that I was aware of, but I wouldn’t have known all his school friends, necessarily, and maybe they’d reconnected since then, recently even. He’s stayed local, too, this guy. Maggie,’ Robin chose her words carefully, ‘the police think Josh had a mental breakdown because the factory was struggling.’

Maggie frowned. ‘Was it? Did you know that?’

‘No. Samir told me.’

‘Samir?’

‘He was at the hospital when I went to see Peter. Rin hadn’t said anything. I mean, two or three years ago, she mentioned there were some issues – fewer orders, slow payments – but I had no idea things were so rough.’ She paused. ‘There’s some suggestion Josh had another source of money.’

‘Samir told you that, too?’

‘Kath, Josh’s sister. He’d got a loan, she said, but he wouldn’t tell her where from.’

Maggie put her elbow on the table, tapped her fingers against her lips. ‘Had you ever heard them mention The Spot?’

Robin shook her head.

‘It’s probably just a coincidence. It’s not a big city when you move in certain circles. But check it out.’

She searched the Net for other links between Josh and Steve Baker, and then for any between Josh and the other investors. After twenty-five minutes she came up empty-handed. ‘Nothing online,’ she told Maggie. ‘I think I’m going to ring him.’

‘Okay. Gently does it, though.’

Baker’s law firm was on Colmore Row, five minutes away on the other side of the cathedral. She dialled the main number and waited for the receptionist to put her through.

‘Steven Baker, good morning.’ He sounded delighted to be a provincial property lawyer on this dull February day. ‘How can I help?’

Robin introduced herself. ‘I’m a private investigator,’ she said, ‘but I’m also a friend of Josh and Corinna Legge.’

‘Oh god,’ he said, ‘I’m sorry.’

‘You’ve heard about what’s happened?’

‘Of course, yes. Dreadful – just …’ He tailed off, and she pictured him shaking his head.

‘Obviously time’s passing now,’ she said, ‘so I’m widening the circle and talking to anyone who might have known him. You were at KES together, is that right? Were you still in touch?’

‘No. I saw him last summer, June or the beginning of July, but that was a school reunion. We said hello – we were on the rugby team together back then and I always liked him, he was a good bloke, but we were never close. We were in different groups.’

‘Mr Baker, we’re following up every possible connection – I understand you have an investment in a bar in Hurst Street, The Spot?’

A momentary hesitation. ‘Yes. How did you hear about that?’

‘Did Josh have any connection to The Spot, that you know of?’