‘Don’t give them any trouble,’ she repeated then, realising it sounded as if it came from her, ‘He said not –’ but the car door slammed shut.

He looked at her through the glass. She smiled, so he wouldn’t think she was scared.

The two gendarmes got into the car, and drove him away. He twisted round to look through the back window and then the car disappeared around the corner onto the road.

She was alone with the other two officers. Their van, with Gendarmerie Identification Criminelle printed on the side was parked next to the rented Golf.

‘Let’s go,’ Lecuyer said to her.

They all walked inside together.

‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘This is, how do you say? Just the beginning.’

‘Do you have authorisation?’ said Bea, fumbling for reason.

‘Oh. Yes. Wait,’ said Lecuyer.

He ran to the van and she and the other one waited, not speaking, until he came back. He held out a clipboard and some sheets of printed paper.

‘Here –’ Out of breath, he searched for the English word. ‘Yes, it’s OK. You call my capitaine, if you want. He is here soon.’

Bea took the papers. She couldn’t focus on them. Smudged words and photocopies, biro writing in little boxes.

‘OK?’ he said. ‘This is Officer Janssens.’

The fatter one nodded. ‘Hi,’ he said. ‘I’ll get the stuff.’

He went, and Lecuyer stood next her, smiling reassuringly. Ignoring him, she took out her phone and dialled Griffs number and told him what was happening. For once he didn’t meet her with demands and rage. He was calm.

‘All right,’ he said. ‘I see. Let me know what happens.’

Janssens came back inside, carrying two white plastic cases.

‘OK,’ said Lecuyer. ‘Your brother’s bedroom, please.’

‘Up here.’

They jogged up the stairs ahead of her, side by side. She showed them the room and they went in and closed the door.

After a moment, she went back down again and sat at the reception desk, alone. She did not think that she had ever felt so alone. It was like Dan was being torn from her, and the pull from Alex’s room held her tight, and the feeling of being torn and pulled got stronger. Dan was further and further away. Panic rose up. She gave herself an order. She ordered her terror to stop and closed the door on it. There was no danger. Dan was innocent and strong. They weren’t in America with trigger-happy cowboy cops, or some shadowy uncivilised place; this was Europe. Home from home France. Better than home France. He wasn’t going to disappear; there were rules and procedures, and she must trust in that. She put him from her mind.