‘Frame of reference,’ she said. ‘Facial expressions give me mental overload sometimes. Other things become less vivid, like items of clothing. But without colour, the minutiae of people’s faces become a movement of lines. Those lines form recognisable patterns. Trying to fake an emotion forms a pattern, too.’

‘So you can tell when people are lying?’ Baarda asked.

‘That kind of misses the subtleties of it. Sometimes people tell half the truth but conceal a detail. Emotions are considered absolute, which is how we teach children. Draw a happy face, a sad face, or an angry mouth. The best example is grief mingling with relief at the passing of a loved one who’s been ill. The eyes, forehead, and upper part of the cheeks shows the pain whereas the lower half – the mouth in particular – registers relief.’

‘Sounds like a useful skill,’ Baarda said, sipping the Armagnac and flexing his shoulders.

‘You’d hate it,’ Connie said. ‘It’s like being permanently wired. Sometimes I find it easier to talk to people by phone just so that I can’t see their faces. My brain needs downtime.’

‘Are you single?’ Baarda asked.

Connie laughed. ‘Yes, and thank you for leaping ahead in that minefield of a conversation. It’s hard trying not to read the expressions of the people I’m close to. Like a tap you can’t turn off.’

‘Which when you’re emotionally invested would be complex,’ he noted.

‘You, on the other hand, are remarkably refreshing to be around because of your natural control and understated behaviour. I spent some time with Angela Fernycroft’s husband today. It was his first time back in the house. Have you ever drunk frozen vodka? It thickens, which should be gross, but the harsh edge of the flavour disappears so you can taste it properly. Here.’ She slid her glass a foot down the bar into his hand.

Baarda took a sip. ‘It’s good. Are you okay?’

‘Nope, but I’m processing. It’s tough seeing people in that much pain, even when you’re trained to be objective. Tell me the deal with the missing girl.’

‘I helped as much as I could, but my job is to find Elspeth Dunwoody. I can’t get distracted. There are protocols, and Police Scotland officers are exceptionally well trained. It was important to get the jump-start. Thanks for speaking with the witness. The description she gave will be helpful.’

‘Yeah, a Jack Skellington lookalike. That’s messed up. That guy’s got to stick out a mile, right?’

‘I didn’t know the reference, although I’ve looked it up since then. Just images,’ Baarda said.

‘You have kids and you haven’t seen that movie? It’s amazing. The thing about Jack Skellington is that he’s actually a good guy. He just makes errors of judgement.’