The door to the retreat opens as Fran pushes it. She steps into the house and then stops, listening for signs of life. It’s just after nine o’clock in the morning and, normally, the place would be buzzing with guests pulling on their shoes and coats, excitedly speculating about the morning’s adventure. But there’s no sign of Peter in the kitchen area, impatiently drumming his fingers against the counter top as he waits for everyone else to get ready, no Priyanka stepping from foot to foot by the door, no Phoenix jabbing at his phone in the living area and no stragglers hurrying down the stairs. The house is silent and clean, stripped of shoes, coats and boots. Other than six mugs and plates on the draining board and the faintest whiff of toast in the air, there’s no sign that anyone has ever been there. A police officer, a softly spoken man in his early twenties, dropped Fran back to Abersoch after she’d given her statement at the police station. She sat in the passenger seat, watching as he spoke to one of his colleagues. Then he nodded at her and she got out. Together they walked down the lane to her car.

‘Is anyone here?’ Fran asks, even though she already knows the answer. Hers is the only car in the retreat’s car park. She’s not sure whether Tom rang them from the hospital or, more likely, they got up, realised that four members of the group were missing, including the retreat leaders, and simply packed up and left. She had worried that she might run into Damian but his car has gone too. The police will catch up with him. She made sure of that. As well as telling the officer who interviewed her about the events of last night, she also told her about Jenna. The officer made notes as Fran told her what Renata had said about hitting Jenna with a rock, and that Damian had killed her. The policewomen laid down her pen at the first mention of Gozo. It wasn’t their jurisdiction, she said. If Jenna had died abroad the new information would have to be shared with the police force who’d investigated her disappearance. Frustrated, Fran explained that there’d been a cover up and the Gozoian police would simply ignore any new information. The police officer gave her a sceptical look then glanced at her colleague. ‘We’ll pass it on to the governor,’ he said, but Fran didn’t believe he’d do any such thing. She’d get in touch with Caroline, she decided, once she was out of the hospital, and find out who they needed to contact to kick up a fuss.