She leant back in her chair. ‘I know nothing about anyone else. You know what it’s like, Inspector, you’re posted and then move on, you lose track of people. You can’t be bosom friends with everyone. I knew no one in the other rest houses really well. I was there with my parents. It isn’t that I mind doing this, Inspector; it’s just that it does seem pointless.’

The inspector turned to me and swivelled the photographs round to face me. ‘And you, Nikki, any fragment of memory? I know you were only five, but children are very observant.’

I looked at the photographs but nothing came. Whatever sliver of memory there had been earlier had vanished. I shook my head. ‘Isn’t it far more likely to have been an opportunist? A local person meeting my sister suddenly out there in the afternoon?’

Inspector Blythe did not answer. James Mohktar got gracefully to his feet. He smiled his gentle smile and we all seemed to relax; he had that sort of effect on people and I was very glad he had stayed here.

He looked at Fleur. ‘How are you feeling, Mrs Campbell?’

‘I’m fine,’ she said politely, as English people always do. ‘Thank you.’

‘And you, Miss Montrose? I do hope you are feeling recovered?’

‘I’m better today, thank you.’ I got up heavily and went over to Jack and leant against the chair he was sitting on. He put his arm round where my waist had once been.

Fleur got up too and went to the fridge and got out water and fresh orange and poured five glasses for everyone without asking. As she handed a glass to James Mohktar and Inspector Blythe, she said ‘Saffie’s body has been found and that is all I can think about at the moment. I’m unsure what going over old ground can possibly achieve after all this time, except to bring back bad memories for me and my daughter.’

The Inspector said quietly, ‘Mrs Campbell, we did not have a body twenty-eight years ago. We had almost nothing to go on. We are waiting to see what the pathologist can tell us about the manner of your daughter’s death.’

‘And what,’ I heard myself say suddenly, my voice odd and high, ‘if we would rather not know the manner of Saffie’s death?’

There was silence in the room. The inspector got up. ‘We will leave you in peace now.’ He looked at me. ‘I am sorry; this is very hard for you both. Because we have to ask questions doesn’t mean we are unaware of either of your feelings, I assure you.’

At the door, Mohktar hesitated. ‘I will come back to see you this evening.’ He smiled at us anxiously and then both men left.

‘Shall we go out and walk for a while?’ Jack asked after a minute. I nodded, but Fleur said, ‘You two go, I’ll join you in a while.’

I hesitated, unsure whether I should leave her alone but sensing Jack’s restlessness.