“I think we might have outgrown each other.” I can’t believe I’m telling him, a total stranger, the truth about our friendship, but it’s oddly liberating.

“They do say people come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. Maybe what you need is to invite some new people into your life and see what happens.” He steps closer to me.

I take a purposeful step back. There’s no one on the patio doing yoga, and the back door is shut. There’s no one in the orchard or tending to the veg patch, either. The goats bleat noisily from the pen, but no one is tending to them.

“It’s been lovely talking to you, Frank, but I should get back. The others are probably wondering where I—”

“Have you seen Paula?” He touches me on the arm. “The short redhead who works with the goats.”

Paula. She was the one Isaac and Cera were talking about in his study when I was eavesdropping. Cera was worried about her telling us something, but Isaac reassured her that she’d be okay after her detox, whatever one of those is. I could tell Frank what I overheard in Isaac’s study, but there’s something about him that makes me uneasy.

“Paula? Yeah, I … um … no, no I don’t think I’ve seen her today.”

“She’s disappeared.” Frank grips my bicep so tightly I squeal in shock. “I’ve been looking for her for a few days, now, and there’s no sign of her.”

“Frank.” I look pointedly at my arm.

“Sorry.” He lets go but makes no effort to widen the distance between us. “I’ve asked a few people if they’ve seen her and it’s always, ‘Oh, you just missed her’ or ‘I’m sure I saw her in the meditation room a minute ago.’ Have you seen her? Think. Did she sleep in the girls’ dormitory last night? Was she there this morning? Any night recently that you can remember?”

“I … I don’t know.” I take a step up the bank, towards the safety of house. “I tell you what, I’ll look for her this evening. I’m sure she’s fine. She’ll be flattered that you – Ouch!”

I’m yanked back down the bank by my wrist. “Frank, stop it, you’re hur—”

“I need you to come with me.” He strides off down the riverbank, dragging me behind him. “If Paula is still in Ekanta Yatra, then she’s locked up in one of the huts. It’s the only place I haven’t looked.”

“Okay.” I try to lean back, to dig my heels in to slow Frank down, but I’m wearing flip-flops and they skid and slip on the wet mud. “Let go of me and I’ll come with you. There’s no need to—”