‘Um, yes. Has something happened?’ She sounds defensive – surely that’s a sign of guilt – yet she doesn’t know how to stop it.

DC Roberts smiles. He must be used to this. ‘I’ll explain everything inside.’

‘Of course.’ She has no choice. All she can do is hope he believes her.

In the living room, Abby gestures to the sofa. She half expects him to decline, to insist on standing; he seems as though he’d prefer to be anywhere but here.

‘Okay, I’ll get straight to the point. We’re looking into the disappearance of Greg Wells and we’re speaking to friends of his, anyone who might be able to help us work out what’s happened.’

It’s no surprise that Sienna has given them her name; Abby has known this moment was coming. She’s only relieved that Rob isn’t here. ‘Okay. I’m happy to help.’ She forces a smile while inside her stomach twists.

‘I’m just trying to get a feel for his movements, and his state of mind, before he disappeared. Can you remember the last time you saw him?’

A vision of Greg the day they met in the park flashes through her mind. Quickly she dismisses it, focuses on the story she needs to tell. It’s likely that Sienna mentioned the dinner party, but she doubts she would have told him what happened afterwards. It would only give the wrong impression, and Abby knows that Sienna is all about appearances. ‘I last saw him at a dinner party they had at their house. About a week before he went missing.’

‘And who was there?’

‘Just my husband and I.’

DC Roberts doesn’t write anything down, he only nods, and she takes this as a good sign. ‘And how long have you known Greg Wells?’

‘I met Sienna first, in April. We became good friends, and I met Greg soon after. My husband and I often had dinner with them.’

Again, he nods. It’s hard not to feel intimidated; there is something unsettling about being in the presence of a person who holds so much authority, so much power. One wrong step and her life will be finished.

‘Can you think of any reason at all why Greg might be missing?’

She shakes her head. ‘No, not at all. He was happily married. It doesn’t make any sense that he’d just leave without a word.’

DC Roberts stares at her. ‘Happily married. I see.’

Abby feels herself flush.

‘You see, sometimes people might give the appearance that they are, but in reality… well, who knows what they could be up to?’

Abby needs to get a hold of herself. ‘Yes, you’re right. I suppose all I can say is that it seemed as though he was happily married.’

DC Roberts nods. Too slowly. He knows something.

‘And how did you get on with him?’ he asks.