‘Wait, wait . . . You mean the safe in the house? But it was fireproof. It should have had all our valuables in it. What happened?’ Grace could hear her voice rising.

‘I believe the safe did survive the fire. They retrieved some papers that were in it, apparently, but nothing else, I’m afraid.’

‘How’s that possible?’ she cried. ‘You’re telling me some papers survived but my diamond jewellery did not?’

‘I’m sorry, Grace. I’m sure the jewellery meant a lot to you, but it’s something you’ll have to talk to your husband about. It wasn’t in there.’

‘No! Mr Jamison, the jewellery didn’t mean a lot from a sentimental point of view, but it meant money! I wanted to sell it. I need cash!’

‘Oh, I see. Well, if you’re positive it was in there, you’d better speak to the insurance broker and the investigator the company uses, a Mr Tony Freeman, I believe.’

‘Well, I can’t be positive. I never had access to that safe. It was my husband’s . . .’ She paused, feeling embarrassed. Again she berated herself. How had she been so, so . . . helpless? So trusting? So stupid.

‘I think you’d better ask your husband,’ Mr Jamison said again, quietly. ‘And, if necessary, inform your family solicitor.’

‘Thanks for letting me know, Mr Jamison. I’ll do just that.’

Grace hung up, and felt like throwing her phone across the room. ‘Damn you, Lawrence,’ she shouted.

‘What now?’ Tina came in from the garden.

‘Lawrence appears to have done something with my jewellery from the safe in our house. The investigators said there was nothing in there when they found it.’

‘What! Why? How? He has money, doesn’t he?’

‘As I’ve learned, Lawrence always likes to give that impression. It’s feast or famine with him. Honestly, Mum, I really have no idea what he does for money. All these business deals he talks about. Development in oil wells, gas, soy-bean production, futures, bitcoin, commodities . . .’

Tina frowned. ‘And he always makes it sound like such a big deal. Doesn’t he ever do anything local, modest, ordinary?’

‘Sadly, it seems like he doesn’t, or I wouldn’t be looking around for something to pawn or sell,’ answered Grace. ‘Mum, I need to do this job in Bali. I really want to do it.’

‘And you should. How did it go with the film director? Is he interested?’ Tina asked.

Grace grinned. ‘Steve agreed. I’m really delighted – he’s terrific. It’s exciting.’ She paused. ‘But I just can’t see how I can go away without taking Daisy. I’ll have to see Mr Judd again.’