She exits the bedroom and walks back along the landing to the large window. On a whim, she grabs the telescope, angles it down a little, and presses her eye against the eyepiece, but she sees nothing but darkness. She fiddles with the focus knobs, but soon gives up. Instead, she leans over the cast-iron banister and looks down at the ground floor, which seems to consist of a single open space with a kitchen at one end and a living room at the other. The only delineation between the two is provided by a brick fireplace that looks as if it can be enjoyed from either direction.

Three creamy-white leather sofas form a horseshoe in front of the fireplace. On the coffee table in the middle, a few half-empty glasses and bottles surround an overflowing ashtray. A couple of the newspapers stacked next to them have slipped down onto the rug.

Leo is standing with his face pressed against the glass patio doors, looking out into the garden, while Kore has sat down on the stool by the grand piano at the other end of the room. Another ashtray and two glasses are sitting on the mirror-black surface. Kore is running his hand through his hair again and again, peering up at the first floor. When he spots Karen, he quickly gets up and spreads his arms queryingly. She shakes her head.

All three of them move out onto the patio and sink onto blue American Adirondack chairs. Together, they go over what they’ve seen. Or not seen. No phone, no handbag, not the flowing white dress Luna wore at the studio. At least, not so far as Karen could tell from her quick inspection. But who knows, she thinks to herself; the rows of outfits were confusingly similar, at least as far as colour goes. Maybe there had been even more clothes and she had taken some with her.

Had she left willingly or had she been forced to? By something or someone? No sign of a struggle, nothing to indicate violence or kidnapping.

On the other hand, nothing to preclude those things, either.

‘Who does the cleaning?’ she asks. ‘I assume not Luna.’

She tries hard to sound neutral.

‘I think there’s a woman who cleans and does the shopping, but I have no idea what her name is. I can ask Brynn, he set everything up.’

‘Right, and why isn’t he here, by the way?’ Karen says. ‘He’s the one who knows the owner of the house.’

Brynn Englund. Co-founder of KGB Productions, along with his brother Gordon and Kore. Karen has met both brothers in a number of contexts but doesn’t know either well. Together with Leo and someone whose name is apparently Billy, they had come back here with Luna after the party. To discuss changing the song selection, according to what Leo had told Karen.