‘Yes.’

‘Did anyone know where you were staying?’

‘My mum,’ said Jemima Craig. ‘But that was it.’

‘Could the others have told people?’

‘Yes. But I have no idea if they did. Why?’

‘Did you tell anyone that Charlotte Morgan was going to be coming with you?’

They looked at each other, blankly.

‘No,’ said Jemima. ‘Why would we?’

‘Prime Minister’s daughter,’ said Liam. ‘People might have been interested.’

‘It’s not a big deal to us. She’s just our friend.’

Liam nodded. ‘Did you go to the beach at Puerto Banús every day?’ he said.

‘No,’ said Tom Carter. ‘Today was the first time. We went to Bounty Beach on the first day. Elvira the next. Yesterday we did the Old Town.’

The MI6 man made a note. ‘Who took the decision to go down there today?’ he said.

Tom Carter looked at his girlfriend. ‘Charlotte, wasn’t it?’

‘No, it was Emily,’ said Jemima.

‘That’s right, Emily.’

Liam nodded. ‘Did you notice anyone watching you? Following you?’

‘Today?’

‘Any day. But today especially.’

‘No.’

‘I did,’ said Jemima. ‘I told you I had.’

Liam sat up straighter and looked over at the young brunette, who had raised herself onto her elbows.

‘Go on,’ he said.

‘There was a guy at the airport in Málaga,’ she said. ‘He was sort of loitering at arrivals. We’d ordered a minibus to bring us here, and it was ten or fifteen minutes late. The whole time, this guy was watching us. He tried to make out that he wasn’t, but he was. Charlotte saw it too, but… Anyway, at the time, I thought… well, Charlotte’s really pretty, and her friend Emily, she could be a model, so you kind of expect it. It was a bit creepy, but I didn’t think much of it. But then I saw him today, when Tom and I walked off the beach.’

‘What was he doing?’

‘Just kind of loitering by the palm trees up there.’

‘Can you describe him, Jemima?’

‘About my height, maybe a bit taller. Indian-looking. Mid-twenties. At the airport he was wearing jeans and a red football shirt. Manchester United, I think. Today he was wearing the same T-shirt, but a pair of shorts.’

‘If we could get some CCTV images, would you be happy to have a look at them for us?’

‘Of course.’

Liam took a moment. Then he said, ‘We’re working on the assumption that the three women have been taken somewhere, probably for ransom. What can you tell me about them? Starting with Charlotte.’

Jemima had been friends with Charlotte Morgan since their schooldays, so she was able to talk in great detail about her.

‘Tell me about Martha Percival?’ said Liam.

‘Lovely girl,’ said Tom Carter. ‘Her husband is… He was a good friend of mine. I’ve known her for six or seven years. Gregarious, funny, very bright. Lovely.’

Liam made a note. ‘And Emily Souster?’ he said.

‘She and Charlotte know each other from work,’ said Jemima. ‘She’s a solicitor, I think. Mostly human rights-type stuff. They’re kind of friends, but work friends, if you know what I mean?’