‘Her name was Saffie.’ The ring glinted as I spread my fingers. ‘We were five. We never knew what happened to her. We had to leave her here. We had to leave her behind when we left…No one could find her. Not your police. Not the military police. Nor the detectives they sent from England. She was never found…my twin.’

There was silence. Then Sergeant Mohktar said gently, ‘I am very sorry, Miss Montrose. I am so very sorry.’ He rubbed his forefinger along his top lip as if he was suddenly missing a moustache and he fiddled with the papers in front of him. ‘You must agree that the death of your father and sister and your mother’s sudden disappearance are most likely to be connected?’

His mobile rang again and, sighing, he answered it. He swung round and said something to his constable in rapid Malay. Then he got to his feet. ‘Please excuse…We will be back in a few moments…’ He clicked his fingers at the waiter. ‘Bring more coffee here…cold drinks…Lah!’ And swiftly the two policemen left the room.

Jack turned me to face him. I felt icily and strangely calm. ‘They know something, Jack.’

‘Yes,’ he said. His face was pale too and I suddenly thought how awful this would have been if I had come alone, without him. If I was about to be told that something dreadful had happened to Fleur I would have heard it alone. All my family would be gone; all gone in this one country, as if Singapore held some awful thrall and threat for us.

I leant against him. ‘Jack,’ I said. ‘Jack…’ But I could not find the words to tell him I loved him…that if he had not insisted on coming I would be here now on my own.

Perhaps he knew, because he met my eyes and said, ‘Nik, we’ll meet whatever’s happened together. I’m sure your mother wouldn’t do anything foolish, whatever memories Singapore invoked. She wouldn’t do that to the daughter she loves.’

I held his eyes and I knew what he said was true. I thought of the two silk blouses lying beautifully wrapped in our room. They were not the act of a woman swamped by memories, but of a woman full of love and anticipation; a woman who was about to become a grandmother.

Then I had another thought. ‘Jack!’ I clutched him. ‘It isn’t Singapore City that holds ghosts…’

But I did not have time to finish for Sergeant Mohktar came back, his face grave, and sat down again opposite us. I saw that he was not quite sure how to begin. Then he said slowly, ‘We think it possible that your mother might have gone over the causeway into Malaysia, Miss Montrose…’

‘To Port Dickson?’

‘Yes.’ He stared at me. ‘It is where your sister…’

‘Disappeared; most probably died,’ I finished for him.

DS Mohktar was holding a newspaper and he turned it nervously in his hands. ‘Miss Montrose, we think your mother might have seen this article in The Straits Times. The waitress in the Gardens confirmed she saw her reading a newspaper.’