‘Well, we all have to be called something,’ Karen comments drily and notes down the name and the number. ‘I’ll call to see if she knows anything. And,’ she adds, ‘I’ve requested passenger lists from all ferries and flights that departed Dunker and Ravenby in the last twenty-four hours. By the way, do you know which name she goes under in her passport? Luna Johns or Lena Johanson?’

‘Lena Johanson. She never officially changed it. I assume she can move about more freely under her old name.’

‘Undoubtedly. Do you know what airline she came in on? And what date it was?’

‘No airline, she arrived on a private boat on the third of April.’

‘Private boat?’

‘Fine, yacht, then. Jarred Kostas, her ex, ran her over from France. He apparently owns a house in Brittany and Luna was there on holiday with the kids before coming here.’

‘And the boat? Or the yacht, whatever, where is that now? And where is Jarred Kostas?’

‘I assume he’s still in France, or maybe he’s back in Los Angeles by now. I was told he gave Luna a ride over from Brittany and then went straight back. He’s the only person she trusts, she said.’

Karen pulls an incredulous face. Was the secrecy really necessary to avoid media attention or was it just a fit of run-of-the-mill delusions of grandeur? Either way, this woman seemed to have an infallible ability to get the people do her bidding. Most ex-spouses probably wouldn’t even lend their former significant others money for a bus ticket.

‘All right,’ she says. ‘I’ll let you know when I’ve talked to my boss, and we’ve determined how to proceed. It’s possible I’m going to have to interview everyone who was at that party.’

‘There’s going to be a lot of talk.’

‘Well, at the very least I’ll want to ask the four of you who went back to the house with her some questions. Then we’ll see. But if no one hears from her and there’s no news, we’re going to have to make it official.’

A few seconds of silence, then a deep breath on the other end.

‘Sure, I get that. But you do realise the media’s going to absolutely explode? Granted, she hasn’t been on the charts for years, but she’s still a cult figure to a lot of people. And if they find out she’s not only in the country but now missing as well . . .’

Kore trails off and Karen hears him brace himself before saying what has been on her mind since she woke up.

‘What if someone kidnapped her?’

*

Fifteen minutes later, the Head of the CID, Jounas Smeed, voices the same concern.

‘All right, we’re just going to have to pray we don’t hear from anyone about a ransom. I assume she’s loaded.’