‘Actually, no,’ Baarda said. ‘That was a false lead. Mrs Dunwoody is still missing. We’re trying to find out as much as we can about her, who she was friends with, where she went that might have exposed her to the wrong sort of attention. Sometimes it’s the smallest pieces of information that turn out to be the most useful.’

‘Are you speaking to everyone again, or just me?’ Darpana asked.

Baarda glanced over his shoulder and met Connie’s eyes fleetingly.

‘As you were the last person known to have spoken to Mrs Dunwoody, we thought we’d begin with you and work backwards from there. Is there someone else you think we should be talking to?’

‘No,’ she snapped. ‘It’s just that all I did was teach the class she was in then say goodnight to her. I really do need to get ready now.’

Baarda ignored the dismissal. ‘So, when did the two of you last meet up socially, rather than just in a class?’

She let out a small huff of air. ‘Three, perhaps four months ago. We went to the Timberyard on Lady Lawson Street for dinner.’

‘And how was that?’ Baarda asked.

‘I’m sorry?’ She stopped stretching and stood up.

‘How was your evening with Mrs Dunwoody?’ Baarda clarified.

The muscles under Darpana’s eyes seized momentarily, and she shifted her lower jaw to one side as she prepared to answer.

‘It was fine, thank you. It’s a good restaurant.’

‘I’ll remember that. So, what did you talk about?’ Baarda gave her a half-smile.

‘The same stuff we always talked about.’ She turned her back on them, reaching for her water bottle and unscrewing the cap. ‘Her kids, what she was up to, my classes, who we’d seen, I honestly can’t remember the details. Any reason?’

‘So there was nothing troubling her? She hadn’t noticed anyone acting strangely around her. Maybe internet trolls, old friends suddenly popping up unexpectedly on social media, any conflicts in her life.’

‘No, nothing.’

‘Ms Chawla,’ Baarda said quietly. ‘It seems to me that there’s something worrying you. That’s not an accusation, and you’re not in trouble. But Mrs Dunwoody is. We don’t know if or when we’re going to find her, or what state she’ll be in when we do. What I do know is that when people withhold even the tiniest detail in circumstances like these, it can lead to serious regret later on. Perhaps I’m misreading your answers, but you seem a little upset. Now would be the time to tell us why, if it has anything to do with Mrs Dunwoody at all.’

Tears arrived in her eyes before she could open her mouth to continue lying.

The studio door opened and the first of that day’s students entered, complete with breezy greeting.

‘Is there somewhere quieter?’ Baarda asked.

‘Staff room,’ Darpana said, leading the way.