‘They do,’ Elspeth confirmed. ‘They’re very lucky. And I love them more than the world. But, Meggy, you didn’t need the posh school. Look at you. Tougher than me, clever, resourceful. Your school is lucky to have you. I hope they know that.’

Meggy rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, feigning dust interference.

‘We should get on,’ she said.

‘Yes,’ Elspeth agreed. ‘Yes, we should.’

Chapter Seventeen

There was little mistaking the stress on Darpana Chawla’s face as she unlocked the yoga studio ready for the day’s classes to begin. Connie and Baarda had been waiting for her, clutching steaming cups of takeaway coffee and sheltering in an opposite doorway. Shoulders hunched against the rain and wind, Darpana looked older than her years and less serene than someone who worked at an establishment called iYoga ever should. They waited for her to get inside and shed her wet coat before entering.

‘Sorry, we’re not open for another—’

Baarda held up his badge. ‘Terribly sorry to be here so early. I’m DI Baarda and this is Dr Woolwine. We have a few more questions for you about Elspeth Dunwoody, if you wouldn’t mind.’

Darpana turned away and fiddled with the class schedules on the reception desk.

‘I gave a statement. I don’t think I can really add anything else, and I have a class soon.’

‘We can talk while you set up, if that’s more convenient,’ Baarda suggested. ‘We promise not to take up too much of your time.’

She shrugged and pointed in the direction of Studio 3. They followed her in.

‘I understand you knew Mrs Dunwoody for some time. This must be upsetting for you,’ Baarda began.

‘Of course,’ Darpana said, switching on heating and clearing a few stray water bottles from the edge of the room. ‘But, I mean, we weren’t that close. Not as friends. She was in my classes for quite a while.’

‘But she followed you here from another studio when you moved employer, is that correct?’

‘Sure. That’s not uncommon.’ She unrolled her mat and began stretching.

‘Mrs Dunwoody’s husband mentioned that he thought the two of you were rather close. He said you socialised occasionally and went through a period where you would text each other regularly.’ Baarda let the information hang in the air without attaching a question.

It was clever. When you asked people a question, they had a safe space to limit their answer. Put a statement to them, and the information they chose to respond with could be telling. Connie stayed in the background and let him work.

‘I message a lot of people,’ Darpana said. ‘We had coffee sometimes, the odd lunch. I liked her. I hope she’s going to be all right. I saw something on the news about it. Was there a ransom?’