Inside, Caruso and Suze both accepted a cup of coffee. Caruso cast an eye over the leather lounges and glass dining table. The kids were obviously banished to another part of the house as there was no evidence of them here, apart from the huge pictures on the wall. Black-and-white photos printed on canvas showed the children and parents in different poses. One girl was around seven or eight years old, while Morgan was a similar age to Bella. Were the photos taken by Brendan Parrish?

‘I saw the newspaper,’ Julia said softly. ‘Is it true?’

Caruso didn’t answer, hoping that Julia would share her thoughts. Was it possible that Julia didn’t know anything about the Parkers’ first child? Before Thursday, he’d never been inside a playgroup. How did the relationships work in this secret women’s club? His silence was rewarded.

‘I don’t understand why she wouldn’t tell us. Imogen had a miscarriage and she shared that. Everyone was so caring when my dad died. Our playgroup was always supportive. Why wouldn’t Lexie say?’

Shrugging, Caruso prepared to ask a question but the woman was on a roll.

‘Did she think she couldn’t trust us?’ Julia sounded indignant now. ‘She should have told us. And now it makes her look guilty. All the time, behind that perfect facade was this …’

Caruso finally got a question in: ‘So, she didn’t seem depressed or unable to cope?’

‘Not at all. She just didn’t open up like the rest of us. We’d be telling each other everything—and I mean everything—and she’d sit there without speaking.’

Despite being a bloke, Caruso could understand not wanting to discuss your dead child with a group of mums who had healthy babies. Interesting that Julia thought it made Lexie look guilty. In what way? Did she really think Lexie could have abducted Bella herself? If so, then how had Lexie done it? She’d have needed an accomplice. The shop assistants in the supermarket and the charity store both corroborated her story and her timing. One hypothesis was that Lexie could have hidden Bella in her car after she’d arrived back from the shops.

‘Poor Lexie.’ Julia dabbed at her eyes with a proper handkerchief. His mum would be impressed by that. ‘Maybe she has that condition, Munchhausen by proxy, and she made the first baby sick and Bella go missing because she craved the attention.’

Her theory didn’t make sense, though, because apparently Lexie hadn’t told anyone about the first child. Caruso took control of the interview.

‘Can we go through that morning at playgroup again, please?’

Julia shifted her weight in the lounge chair and rubbed a hand over her belly.

‘I picked up Tara because I wanted to try out my new baby capsule with Daisy in it. It’s a convertible one. Ridiculously expensive but we can use it till the baby is eight.’