‘Brynn’s still at the hospital with his girlfriend. That’s why he had to take off last night, you know. Billy was sober so he drove him over. Apparently she’s still in labour, so Brynn is sitting there with his phone in one hand and the gas and air in the other.’

‘What about his brother?’

Kore chuckles.

‘Gordon? He can probably walk you through you every single track he’s ever laid down in minute detail, but he doesn’t know where his own arse is located. Let alone who cleans what house.’

‘And Billy? Is that the blond bloke I saw at the studio? Tall, skinny guy fawning over Luna like a lost puppy? Her handbag holder?’

Leo shoots her an annoyed look.

‘I think he prefers personal assistant,’ Kore replies calmly. ‘But yes, you’re right, I’ll check with Billy if he knows the name of the cleaner.’

It’s probably her day off, what with it being Sunday and all. No one has cleaned up since Kore and Leo left the house in a taxi just after three in the morning, that’s for sure. That was less than twenty-four hours ago. What am I doing here?

‘And you’re completely sure there was no one else here? When you left, I mean?’

‘Brynn and Billy left about an hour before us. There was never anyone else. Just the four of us. Well, and Luna, obviously.’

‘And she can’t have gone to see her parents?’ Karen says with a quick glance at her watch. ‘I assume they still live around here somewhere?’

‘Doubtful,’ Kore says. ‘She was pretty concerned about them finding out she was back in the country, from what she said. I got the impression she hasn’t been in touch with them at all.’

That may be true, Karen muses. Or not. It’s too soon yet, but if no one hears from Luna in the near future, they will have to assume she’s missing, and her parents will be high on the list of people they will want to talk to.

‘Anyone else? She did grow up here, after all, she must have old friends all over.’

‘I don’t think so.’ It’s Leo who replies. ‘She grew up outside Ravenby, but she dropped out of school halfway through ninth grade and left home. And she can’t have been much more than twenty when she moved to the US. And she hasn’t been back once since then, as far as I know. Until now, that is. At least, that’s what she told me.’

‘OK, but apparently she’s been in touch with you all these years,’ Karen says to Kore. ‘There could be others she spoke with too, right?’