‘No,’ I interrupt. ‘Thank you, but that’s fine. I haven’t skied since the accident and I don’t wish to start again now.’ It comes out snappier than I intended. ‘But I appreciate the offer and I understand that you are trying to make this all as easy as possible for me,’ I add.

Didier nods curtly. ‘As you wish. And then later we are going to meet Guillaume, the pisteur who found your brother. We thought maybe you might have some questions for him.’

I nod. ‘OK. Thank you.’

He nods towards a four by four which is parked nearby and hands me a coat. ‘I brought the car – it is not too far, but I think better than walking. Matt told me you didn’t have a proper coat as you have come from a hot weather climate, so I have brought one for you. I hope it does not offend you. You are very welcome to keep it if you would like, but I understand if there are too many sad memories here for you to do that, so there is no obligation.’

I shrug it on – it’s an enormous coat with the resort’s logo emblazoned in red on the back – and feel instantly slightly better. It’s comforting – like wearing a duvet. I will definitely keep it. ‘Thank you. That’s very thoughtful.’

‘If you are ready, we will go?’ He turns and heads off towards the car. Matt and I follow.

The whole thing feels awkward and wrong. We drive up the hill and out of the village. The road gets snowier and turns into a track. We carry on up until we reach an ancient shepherd’s hut, where Didier stops the car and says, ‘We get out here.’ We are at the edge of a piste just above the village and skiers in colourful gear are whizzing by. I can feel my feet getting wet almost as soon as I step out of the car and the snow soaks through my totally unsuitable shoes. It’s still snowing and the wind is fierce. I shove my hands deep into the pockets of the borrowed coat as I don’t have any gloves, but then I realize this probably looks too casual for the occasion, so I pull them out again and ball them into fists to try to keep warm.

Didier points up the slope and says softly: ‘Your brother was found there – at the other side of the piste. There was a small avalanche that night and we think he came down from his previous resting place with the snow. I believe there were photos taken by the police before he was moved; I don’t know if that’s something you would want to see, but if you have any questions about that you can ask later.’