In the Old Police Cottage, Mrs. Rayner, welcomed by Dalgliesh, declined the offer of coffee and asked for tea, which Kate made. Benton had arrived and the four of them sat round the low table in front of the fire. Dalgliesh, who had Rhoda Gradwyn’s file in front of him, briefly explained how the team had come to know of Sharon’s real identity. He handed the file to Mrs. Rayner, who examined the picture of Lucy’s battered face without comment. After a few minutes’ scrutiny she closed the file and handed it back to Dalgliesh.

She said, “It would be interesting to find out how Rhoda Gradwyn managed to get hold of some of this material, but as she’s dead there seems little point in instituting an enquiry. Anyway, that won’t be for me to do. Certainly we’ve had no instances of anything about Sharon being published and there was a legal prohibition when she was a minor.”

Dalgliesh asked, “She didn’t notify you of her change of job and address?”

“No. She should have done, of course, and I should have been in touch before now with the retirement home. I last met her by arrangement ten months ago, when she was still there. She must have already decided to move. Her excuse will probably be that she didn’t want to tell me and saw no need. My excuse, less valid, is the usual one: a too-heavy workload, and the reorganisation following the splitting of Home Office responsibilities. In common parlance, Sharon fell through the net.”

Falling Through the Net, thought Dalgliesh, would be a perfect title for a contemporary novel. He said, “You had no particular anxiety about her?”

“None in the sense of seeing her as a public danger. She wouldn’t have been released if the Parole Board hadn’t been satisfied that she wasn’t a danger to herself or others. She was no trouble when she was in Moorfield House, and has been none since release. If I had anxiety—indeed, still have—it’s about finding a satisfying and suitable job for her, helping her to make a life for herself. She has always resisted taking any form of training. The job at the retirement home wasn’t a long-term solution. She should be with people of her own age. But I’m not here to discuss Sharon’s future. I can see that she presents a problem for your investigation. Wherever she goes, we’ll ensure she’s available if you wish to question her. Has she been co-operating so far?”

Dalgliesh said, “She hasn’t been a problem. At present we have no prime suspect.”

“Well, obviously she can’t stay here. I’ll make arrangements for her to go to a hostel until we can arrange something more permanent. I hope to be able to send someone for her in three days’ time. Of course I’ll keep in touch.”