‘So the police did come here?’ said Robin.

‘Yes. They wanted to know if she’d had any trouble with the punters. Pretty young woman, working in a club …’ His hands were on the table and he moved them apart a little as if to say, yes, it was a reasonable question but what could you do?

‘What did you tell them?’

‘That she hadn’t. Or nothing serious. There’s always a bit of argy-bargy later on but …’

‘Argy-bargy?’

‘No, that sounds wrong. Just … flirting. Lairy lads, get a few drinks in them and suddenly they’re Ryan Gosling, you know. Come on, love, let me buy you a drink, your boyfriend won’t mind. What, you haven’t got a boyfriend? Blah, blah, blah.’

‘Did she have a boyfriend?’

The hands again. ‘I’m not in the core gossip circle – being the manager has some advantages.’ Playing for laughs; Robin kept her face stony and saw it register. ‘I don’t know. There was a guy who came to meet her at the end of the night sometimes,’ he said, ‘but she introduced him to me as an old friend.’

On her phone, Robin scrolled to the picture she’d taken of the photo on Becca’s mirror. ‘This him?’

He took the phone and pinched out to enlarge Harry’s face. ‘Yeah.’

‘So there wasn’t anyone else – punter or otherwise – who’d taken a special interest? Sought her out, asked about her?’ said Maggie.

He shook his head. ‘The police asked the same, and I told them what I’m telling you. We’re worried about her – she’s got friends here. If we knew anything, or heard anything, we’d have been in touch.’

‘Justin – is that his name? – he said the female staff are “thick as thieves”.’

‘They get on, yeah.’

‘Could we talk to them – anyone who’s here at the moment?’

He seemed to hesitate. ‘Amanda’s on but she’s new, only started ten days ago, so she didn’t really get a chance to know Becca. It’s Tuesday so skeleton staff – we get an early rush, people having a quick one after work, a few people in the last hour or so, but it’s not like later in the week. Becca worked weekends and Wednesday so her core posse aren’t here. I can have a word with them again, in case anyone’s remembered anything?’

‘Thanks, we’d appreciate that.’ Maggie stood up. ‘This is a nice-looking place, by the way. We’ll have to come again some time. For pleasure.’

‘Yes, do.’

‘Is it yours? Do you own it?’

He shook his head. ‘Just manage it.’

‘Who does?’

‘It’s a syndicate of investors – friends. They wanted to do something in Southside, regenerating Birmingham, you know?’