“OK, it was a couple of days ago. I was coming out of my office in the Old Town when this guy, fortyish, brown hair, and smart parka, approaches me out of nowhere and asks if he can have a word. I was on my way to a meeting so I asked him to walk with me, you know, in case he had a good lead on a story. However, right off the bat, without introducing himself he starts asking me if I know someone called Rebecca—surname’s escaping me for the moment. I said I didn’t, so he pulls out his phone and shows me a photo. Now, I can’t be certain about this because the hair color was different, but if Claudia was fair I’d swear it was her.”

Andee regarded him closely as her mind went into overdrive. “What did you say?” she asked carefully.

He shrugged. “I told him I’d never seen her before. That was a kind of instinct kicking in, not sure why, but with him coming out of the blue like that . . . And once I took a proper look at him, I felt kind of glad I’d held back. I wouldn’t say he was sleazy, or anything, but there was this air about him that seemed a bit . . . off. I asked why he was looking for the woman and he said something about her coming into money, so I decided he must work for one of those inheritance agencies. I offered to put the picture on the paper’s website, but he didn’t want that. He said he’d carry on asking around and gave me his card so I could be in touch if I saw her or heard anything about her.” His eyes narrowed curiously. “You’re looking worried. It was Claudia, wasn’t it?”

“Do you know who else he was talking to in town?” Andee countered.

“I didn’t think to ask. I was already late so I just wished him good luck and went into my meeting. To be honest I forgot about it until Claudia popped into Dad and Leanne’s yesterday while I was there. I didn’t want to tell her in case it wasn’t her in the photo—or in case it was, I guess. I waited until after she’d gone and told them, which is when they said I should call you. So, what’s going on?”

Picking up her coffee, she sipped as she thought. In the end she avoided his question again and said, “I know you’re scenting a story, but please hold back for now, at least until I’ve had time to talk this over with someone who probably needs to know.”

“Meaning Claudia?”

“No, not her.”

His eyes twinkled. “Enter the infamous DCI Gould?”

She didn’t deny it.

“OK. And if this guy contacts me again? Do you want me to put him on to you?”