‘So you haven’t seen or spoken to either of them since you graduated?’

‘My client has already answered that question, Detective Inspector.’

Fleet continued to look at Richardson.

‘No, Detective Inspector. I have not seen or spoken to either Melissa Haynes or Lance Wheeler since the three of us graduated from Beaconsfield. Is that categorical enough for you?’

‘Perfectly,’ said Fleet. ‘Thank you. Although I am curious, too, about your impressions of their relationships with Ben. Did they feel the same way about him as you did?’

‘You would have to ask them, Detective Inspector. Assuming you are able to find them. Personally I wouldn’t know where to even begin looking for them.’

‘There’s no need to worry about that, Mr Richardson. We’ve already tracked them down.’

Fleet was again watching Richardson closely, and for the first time – unless Fleet was imagining it – Richardson betrayed a flash of unease.

‘Well,’ he said, ‘there you go then. You can ask them yourself. Although, if you want my impression … I would have to say that, whereas I was largely indifferent to Ben, the others actively disliked him. Lance was … resentful. He … Well. He didn’t like the idea of Ben muscling in on our group.’

Fleet recalled what Father Steiner had told them about Lance; his suggestion that Lance might have had feelings for Richardson that went further than simple friendship.

‘Muscling in on your group?’ Fleet echoed, emphasising the final word.

Richardson sneered. ‘On me, then, if you prefer. He never came out and admitted the way he felt about me, but I don’t think either of us was in any doubt. As for Melissa, she was always friendly to Ben’s face, but the truth was, she didn’t appreciate his hanging around with us either. She was always the jealous type.’

‘Again, do you mean jealous in a romantic sense, Mr Richardson? Melissa was your girlfriend, wasn’t she?’

‘She was, and yes, I do. It took me a little while to realise it, but Melissa wasn’t exactly stable. She had … daddy issues, I suppose you could call them.’ Again, there was a sneer audible in Richardson’s tone. As before, Fleet thought about what Father Steiner had said, about Richardson having had followers, and it was becoming clearer to Fleet how someone like Richardson might have taken advantage of his friends’ devotion. How easily he might have preyed on their weaknesses.

‘Between you and me,’ Richardson went on, ‘Melissa and Lance had some rather outlandish ideas. That’s one of the reasons the three of us drifted apart.’

‘What kind of outlandish ideas?’

‘Well, for one thing, they were obsessed with trying to get Beaconsfield shut down. They said … they said that, if they could have, they would have burned the place to the ground.’

Fleet blinked. ‘Excuse me?’

‘Beaconsfield had been destroyed by a fire once already, and they regarded the incident as their … inspiration.’