‘There’s nothing in the background except a few pencil strokes.’ The words burst out. He saw they were a release of her pent-up frustration.

He wished he could say something to make her calmer. Like this she reminded him of Cassie, panicky and on the edge of a tantrum. He calmed her by holding her to him, very tight. There was a brief moment when he pictured himself holding Willow, squeezing the stress from her, and then he remembered that he hadn’t called Cassie that day. He never went a day without speaking to her. ‘I have to make a phone call. Sorry. I’ll be quick.’ He climbed down the steep wooden staircase to the hall below, sensing Willow’s displeasure tracking after him.

Cassie sounded pleased to hear from him. ‘When are you planning to be back?’ Her voice was even. She’d never been a child to make demands.

‘Soon. Certainly by the end of the weekend.’

‘Good.’

‘We’ll both be glad to get home,’ Perez said.

‘Will you take me to Fair Isle when you come back?’

‘You have school,’ he said, fudging it. ‘It’s too far to go in a day.’

‘We could go for a long weekend. I asked my teacher. She said it would be fine to have a couple of days off. She thinks it’s an important thing for me to do.’

‘Then we’ll go.’ There was nothing else to say. ‘The first weekend when the weather’s good, when it’s calm enough to take the Good Shepherd.’

She didn’t reply, but he heard a gentle sigh at the other end of the line. Satisfaction because she’d got her way.

In the loft Willow was still fretting, but she was calmer. The yoga training perhaps. ‘What do you think, Jimmy? How can we find Monica? This is the only address we have, and Annie’s like Neighbourhood Watch on speed. If there was any gossip to be gained about the woman, then she’d have it.’

‘We could try the gallery.’ He thought he’d like to look at the painting of the girl in white again, if it was still there. He wasn’t quite sure what good that would do, but it seemed important.

‘Of course.’ There was relief in her words because at least they had a plan of action. ‘It’ll be shut, but maybe someone nearby will have some information. We’ll be able to track down the key-holder at least.’

Outside, she was set to drive off immediately, but Perez insisted on going next door to thank Annie.

‘Did you find anything helpful?’ The woman wanted to keep him there, chatting. She even had her hand on his arm. This was more about her being lonely than inquisitive.