‘Is it a difficult question?’

He was pushing for answers suddenly, not drawing them out.

‘Do you know something else?’ she said. ‘Do you know what happened?’

‘Tell me about his relationships,’ said Dufour, ignoring her questions. ‘Men or women? Did he sleep around?’

Bea kept silent and counted to ten in her head. It was a tactic she sometimes used in sessions, to shift the balance of power.

‘I hadn’t seen my brother for almost two years,’ she said, ‘I told you.’

In the corner, Luis scribbled on.

‘Alex was a fag, wasn’t he?’ said Dufour.

He used the word pédé. She’d only heard it said in films before, never in real life.

‘If you use words like that, I’m leaving,’ she said. ‘I’m here voluntarily.’

There was silence.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said.

‘I don’t think Alex was gay,’ she said. ‘As far as I know he wasn’t very sexually active.’

‘Do you know where he went at night?’

‘I’ve told you, we only got here a few days ago.’

‘Do you know what methadone is?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Why of course?’

‘I work in mental health, in London. I’ve worked with addicts.’

‘Are you an addict?’

‘No.’

‘Was he prescribed methadone?’

‘Not that I know of –’

‘Did he have a dealer here?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Did he have a prescription for diazepam?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Do you?’

‘No. My mother does.’

‘Your mother?’ That stopped him. ‘Why?’ The way he asked it was more gossipy than professional.

‘She’s neurotic,’ said Bea.

‘You don’t sound sympathetic.’

‘I’m not.’

‘Did your brother use any of these medications?’

‘No.’ She corrected herself. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘Did Alex ever mention a bar called Chez Janine?’

‘Where is it?’

‘Did he mention it to you? Chez Janine.’

‘No,’ she said.

Then, as if a bell had rung at the end of a lesson the two officers rose from their chairs and politeness returned. Dufour shook out his shoulders.

‘OK. Thank you Madame, we’ll be in touch.’

Nino Luis opened the door for her, and smiled.

‘Goodbye,’ she said, in English, looking directly at him.

‘It’s much more difficult for us, after the first forty-eight hours,’ said Dufour. ‘We’re doing what we can.’

‘But why has it taken this long? Why hasn’t somebody told us what’s happening?’

He smiled ruefully, surrendering all the power he had assumed while questioning her. He became boyish. ‘You have to talk to my boss about that,’ he said.

‘Capitaine Vincent?’ she said.

‘He’s the boss.’