‘What if it was a showcase, for men to choose the women they wanted? Then arrangements were made to give them access, either on the night itself or at a future time?’ Her thoughts raced ahead. ‘James said the weekend away was a special offer to network members, that’s why there was no flexibility with dates.’ She met Hailey’s puzzled gaze. ‘It makes some sort of sense, doesn’t it?’

Hailey’s jaw dropped, her hand covering her mouth. ‘Oh my God, that would be horrendous if it’s true. But we can’t discount it, can we? We’ve got to leave it as a possibility.’ She thought for a moment. ‘Perhaps you could confront James with it. See how he reacts. And video any conversations you have with him, if you can. Then we’ll have facial expressions as well as his voice for evidence.’

Evidence? Sara shook her head, adamant. ‘No police,’ she said. ‘I already told you that.’

Hailey gave an exasperated sigh. ‘Look, I know it’s not ideal, but if you really want to get this sorted out once and for all, you’re going to need the police.’ Her expression softened. ‘I just don’t think it’s as big a deal as you imagine. We could go and talk to Fiona together if you like. Explain everything and beg for clemency. She’s your friend, isn’t she? I’m sure she’d understand.’

Would she? Sara wondered, her heart racing now as the implications of Hailey’s plan sank in. From her experience of working with Fiona, she’d proved to be quite strict as far as rules were concerned, and she took her responsibilities as board chairperson very seriously. ‘No, I can’t take the risk.’

Hailey stared at her for a moment, then her shoulders slumped in defeat. ‘Okay, well it’s your shout. We won’t think about getting the police involved just yet. We can speak to James and Matt, record the conversations should we need them as evidence in the future, then decide what happens next. Do it in stages.’

It seemed like the best approach, certainly more palatable than the alternative. ‘Speaking to James is pretty straightforward,’ Sara said. ‘I can do it at the community centre. Get him to come into the office, I’ll set up my phone to record our conversation and he won’t suspect a thing.’

‘Perfect. Sounds like a plan. The question is, who do we tackle first?’

Sara thought for a moment. ‘Let’s talk to Matt. We know exactly where he is, and we can do it together. I know this sounds pathetic, but after last time, I can’t face talking to him on my own.’

Her phone pinged and she had a quick look, thinking it was going to be a message from the girls, or even Matt, objecting to their last-minute holiday plans, but it wasn’t.