The black Porsche Cayenne with personalised number plate was hardly discreet, and didn’t quite square with Prisha’s request not to come to a police station or have a police vehicle come to her home. She slid it into a disabled parking spot close to the entrance. Gillard wondered whether this thoughtless parking was evidence of her being embarrassed to be late, and wanting to minimise any further delay. He revised his opinion as he watched her spend five minutes touching up her make-up in the rear-view mirror and brushing her hair. Finally, she opened the door, and made her way to the hotel entrance with the unhurried gait of a catwalk model.

‘My apologies for the delay, detective chief inspector.’ She pushed her large sunglasses onto the top of her head and shook his hand as he stood to greet her. She was wearing a conservatively cut dark blue jacket and trousers, and patent leather shoes with a low heel. Her large brown eyes were lined with kohl, which gave them an arresting intensity. She immediately took charge, and checked with the receptionist to make sure her usual meeting room was ready. She then led the DCI down a long featureless corridor, within which the scream of jet engines could only just be heard. As they walked side-by-side, she turned to him. ‘Before you ask me any questions, I want to ask if you have a suspect in mind for the murder of my mother? Have you identified that damned cyclist?’

‘Well as I think you know we have a description—’

‘Yes, but do you know who it is? I asked your liaison officer and she couldn’t tell me.’

‘That’s because we don’t know. We’re at an early stage in the inquiry.’

‘Detective chief inspector, my mother was one of the most prominent female businesswomen in the country. Her murder is a national tragedy, and it doesn’t sound to me like Surrey Police is resourcing this properly.’

‘Ms Roy, let me assure you that we have a very large investigative team, one of the largest that we have ever deployed for a murder. The best way to speed up that inquiry is to co-operate fully, even with what may seem like intrusive questions.’

She ignored his reply, slid her key card into the door, and let him into the meeting room. Beyond the aroma of stale coffee was some other musty locker room smell. Once seated, she turned off her phone, set it to one side and gave him her full attention.

‘All right. Now your questions. Fire away,’ she said.

‘Now I know you are the eldest daughter, but my understanding is that you don’t play any active part in the company?’

‘No, I don’t. I think you may be able to guess the Indian rules of inheritance, and I have only a limited stake in the company. I have spread my wings in other directions.’

‘Was Friday the last time you saw your mother?’

‘Yes.’

‘So you didn’t see her over the weekend?’