‘And what about Rachita? Does she want to go to university?’ said Libby.
‘Oh, yes. And she told Rach what she thought of her for not standing up to the family.’
‘So do you think she might have run away?’ asked Ben.
‘I don’t think she’d do that until she’d got her A levels,’ said Sophie. ‘Then she could hide until it was time to take up her uni place. And she would never tell them where she’d been offered a place, either. So, no, I don’t think she’s run away.’
‘And what about boys?’ asked Fran. ‘Boyfriends?’
‘Oh, they’re both set up to marry some distant cousins or something,’ said Sophie. ‘Rach doesn’t seem to mind, but Rachita hated it. I don’t know if she’s been seeing anyone, though. She would keep it very quiet.’
‘Do you think they’ve told the police?’ asked Libby. ‘Ian hadn’t heard about it, and it would have been reported to his division.’
‘I don’t know. Rach was a bit funny about it. She said she was frightened but I’m not sure of what. Perhaps it’s a kidnapping and they’ve been told not to involve the police? That’s what it would be on the telly.’
‘She’s right.’ Libby looked round at the others. ‘But would she be worth much?’
‘Libby!’ said four voices together.
‘What I meant was, would the family be able to raise enough to make a ransom worthwhile?’
‘Oh, I see.’ Sophie shook her head. ‘They all seemed very comfortably off, but you can’t really tell, can you? It wasn’t as if they had really flash houses, or anything. And they worked like slaves. The shops were open all hours.’
‘They sound like most of the Asian families I know. Ali and Ahmed in the village are the same,’ said Libby.
‘What about your Mr Vindari?’ said Ben. ‘He looks a bit flasher.’
‘He’s only got the two restaurants,’ said Libby, ‘and he seems to live in a small cottage. I wouldn’t have said he was particularly rich.’
‘When Ian said “that fits” what do you think he meant?’ asked Fran.
‘No idea,’ said Guy, ‘but I gather we’re all thinking along the same lines, aren’t we?’
They all nodded gloomily.
‘I feel really bad about it,’ said Libby. ‘Ali and Ahmed are friends, and Mr Vindari was really nice. And Ben and I got free drinks in his restaurant. It seems so wrong to start suspecting their community.’
‘No different from suspecting anybody else,’ said Ben. ‘When a murderer comes from a poor background we don’t say, “that is damaging to the whole poverty-stricken community”, or if he’s rich, “that’s an insult to all fat cats”, do we?’
‘It does get said,’ said Fran. ‘There are always media pundits who will make a point of the background or community, whatever it is.’
‘Maybe it isn’t what we’re suspecting,’ said Guy. ‘And maybe Rachita’s just bunked off for the summer before settling down to her A levels. And perhaps Rachanda’s frightened of what her family are going to say when she comes back. The most almighty row, I should think.’
The sandwiches arrived.
They ate in silence, then Sophie said she would go back to the shop and Guy reluctantly said he would follow her.
‘Are you going to hang around?’ he asked Libby and Ben as he stood up to go.
‘Don’t know,’ said Libby. ‘Why?’
‘Just wondered,’ he said looking at Fran, who grinned.
‘He wants to ask you to stay to supper, but he has to ask me first! Would you like to stay?’
‘Love to,’ said Libby.
‘If it’s not too much trouble,’ said Ben.
‘I’ll see you later then,’ said Guy, and with a wave set off down Harbour Street after Sophie.
‘What shall we do this afternoon, then?’ asked Libby. ‘Will you have to go shopping, Fran? Shall I come with you?’
‘I suppose I will,’ said Fran. ‘You can come if you like. What will you do, Ben?’
‘I might go and visit the new baby,’ he said.
‘Oh, well,’ said Libby, ‘we can all do that. If Fran and I do a really quick shop, we can all go up to Peel House afterwards.’
‘If that won’t be too much for her?’ said Fran. ‘Or you two could go and I could go back and start preparing food.’
‘Oh no, you must come too,’ said Libby. ‘I’ll ring Jane and ask.’
Finally, all three went shopping in the little supermarket halfway up the high street.
‘Look,’ said Libby as they came out, ‘Riley’s is closed.’
‘So it is,’ said Fran. Ben crossed the road to read the notice in the window.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances this office will remain closed until further notice. We apologise for any inconvenience,” he quoted when he came back.
‘That’ll be Ian pursuing his enquiries,’ said Libby. ‘We said he should look into Riley’s. After all they had a connection with Paul Findon and Rosie’s mother and they’re still handling the sale – supposedly. They’re bound to be worth investigating.’
‘I’m sorry for the employees,’ said Fran, as they started down the hill. ‘They may well be out of a job.’
‘Serve ’em right,’ said Libby.
‘No, I don’t think they knew anything about – well – about whatever it is. Otherwise that first man wouldn’t have told you it was a difficult place, nor given you the keys to go yourself. He probably got the sack for that.’
‘Oh, dear! Do you really think so? I feel awful, now.’
‘Well, you didn’t know, did you?’ said Fran. ‘Are we going to take this shopping home before we go to see Jane?’
‘Is there anything that will spoil? If not, I can’t see the point in going all the way back to Coastguard Cottage and then retracing our steps here again,’ said Ben. ‘We can carry it between us.’
‘And to get the stuff back gives us an excuse not to stay too long,’ said Libby, ‘in case we begin to feel baby overload.’
‘Or the boot’s on the other foot,’ said Ben.
Chapter Twenty-eight
IMOGEN HAVING BEEN DULY appreciated, and Jane given an update on the White Lodge investigation, leaving out Rachita’s disappearance, Fran, Libby and Ben went back down to Coastguard Cottage. Fran made tea, then she and Libby returned to the kitchen, where Libby got under her feet, under the impression that she was helping, and Ben sat reading a paper in the window seat with Balzac on his lap.
Sophie had been invited to supper as well, but she said Adam was coming over and they were having a take- away.
‘She said they might pop in after they’ve eaten,’ said Guy when he arrived after closing the shop.
‘I think you see more of my son than I do these days,’ said Libby.
‘Not much,’ said Fran, accepting a glass of white wine from her husband. ‘They tend to stay closeted in the flat. Young lurve, eh?’
‘Hmm.’ Libby sipped her own glass of red. ‘Young lust, more likely.’
‘Libby!’ Ben said, appalled, but Fran and Guy laughed.
Conscious of the fact that Ben wouldn’t be able to drink more than one glass of wine, Fran served up early, and they were just finishing their fruit and cheese at half past seven when there was a knock on the door.
‘Ian!’ Guy held the door open and Ian stepped inside.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I should have rung, but I was actually looking for Sophie.’
‘She’s in the flat.’ Fran stood up. ‘You sit down and have a cup of coffee and we’ll ask her to come over here. I don’t suppose you’ve eaten, have you?’
‘Well, no,’ said Ian, sitting on the chair that Guy pulled up to the table for him, ‘but I don’t want to
