She waited while he got into the back seat, then she climbed in behind the wheel, leaving the door ajar.

‘So,’ Alex said gently. ‘Tell me what you think has happened to Malin and Dan and their children.’

Tina rubbed her hands together. They were always a little too cold.

What did she think?

It was hard to sum up in a few simple sentences.

‘Something’s wrong,’ she began. ‘Very wrong.’

‘You don’t believe they’re in Australia?’

‘No. But . . . I can’t even guess at where they might be.’

‘Hmm. If we play with the idea that they actually are in Australia,’ Alex said slowly. ‘That for reasons neither you nor I can understand, they feel they have to behave in this way. What might be behind such behaviour?’

She thought hard.

‘Nothing. Nothing at all.’

‘They couldn’t possibly be . . . running away?’

‘Running away?’

‘As I said, I’m just playing with the idea,’ Alex repeated. ‘I realise the move to Australia doesn’t add up, but I need to work out what the problem is.’

Tina leaned back, keeping her eyes fixed on Alex. He met her gaze in silence.

‘Dan’s job can make him . . . vulnerable. He’s a psychologist, and some of his cases haven’t ended well.’

‘Are you thinking of anything in particular?’

His tone was too casual, as if he knew the answer.

Noah, Tina thought. Of course, Noah’s already told him.

‘Dan had a client with serious mental-health issues about a year ago,’ she said. ‘As you perhaps know.’

‘That doesn’t matter. Tell me about this client.’

‘I’d call him crazy, but Dan always says you can’t use that word when people have mental-health problems. He was referred by the company he worked for; he was suffering from burnout and needed help. It didn’t take Dan long to establish that this guy had far more serious problems, to the extent that he actually tried to have him sectioned; in his professional opinion, the client was dangerous. Unfortunately no one listened before it was too late. One morning the school contacted the police when neither of the children turned up, and they couldn’t get hold of the parents. He’d shot his family, then himself.’

Alex adjusted his position in the back seat.

‘Horrific. Did he ever threaten Dan?’

Tina shuddered.

‘Definitely. Dan cancelled their last session, because the guy wouldn’t leave him alone.’

‘What did he do?’

‘He once turned up at the house in the middle of the night, yelling and banging on the door. And he sent threatening emails and text messages, said he’d harm Dan if Dan didn’t make him better.’

‘Did Dan report this to the police?’

Tina sighed. ‘Malin wanted him to, but Dan’s boss chose to handle it differently. The practice works with a security company that provides support when necessary.’

Alex’s interest was immediately aroused.

‘A security company? Which one?’