The phone rang, making Naomi jump as she was pulled from her thoughts. The cheery ringtone suggested it was her sister, and she slid her finger across the screen to answer the call.

‘Hiya,’ Naomi said, genuine warmth in her tone. There was only a year between them, and Connie was her best friend as well as her older sibling. She was also a police inspector in the Metropolitan police. It was something Naomi unashamedly took advantage of.

‘Hey there,’ Connie replied. ‘I made that call for you . . . spoke to a nice officer named Ralph. I think he was flirting with me.’

‘And did you flirt back?’ Naomi said, her smile carrying on her voice. Connie was an extrovert, and it didn’t surprise her in the least.

‘Ugh, no. I don’t date cops. The last thing I want is someone calling me ma’am in bed.’

‘Depends on who’s doing the calling.’ Naomi’s head tilted to one side. ‘Did you find out anything?’

‘No . . . not after I knocked him back.’

‘Oh.’ A pang of disappointment hit home.

‘I’m joking.’ Connie laughed. ‘But this is the last favour I’m doing. You’ll get me into bother at work.’

‘Not if I solve it for you, I won’t.’

‘And then there will be an enquiry into how I did that,’ Connie cautioned. ‘You can take the credit, but this is the last bit of info I can spare.’

‘Message received, ma’am,’ Naomi said, in a less-than-serious tone. She picked up her notebook and pen from the floor at her feet.

A soft sigh preceded her big sister’s voice before she went on. ‘It was called in by a local, Joanne Thomas, as a concern for welfare. She went to Ivy Cottage to deliver some library books to Grace, and there was nobody at home. She got worried when she saw the dog outside, barking to be allowed in. She said she knew that something was wrong the minute she opened the door. It was usually locked. She said there were flies on the food and the television was turned on. It looked like nobody had been there for a couple of days.’

‘No blood? Nothing suspicious?’ Naomi quickly scribbled some notes.

‘No,’ Connie replied. ‘She said they’d just disappeared into thin air. Officers recorded it as an official missing person case. Relatives were notified, and it went from there.’

‘I know most of this, apart from the name of the person who called it in.’ Naomi tried to contain her impatience. She had been hoping for more. ‘Is that all he could give you?’

‘They don’t have a lot to go on. All the background stuff about the family you already know. There’s been no updates on the case, other than the house has been sold, but then you already know that.’ Her sister spoke in a wry tone. Naomi knew she didn’t approve of her purchase.