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it’s all about who you know, whose palm you grease.” Tom sighed. “She also said that accountants are low paid in China. Over here she can earn a reasonable living, have more security, maybe even bring her parents over eventually.”
    For a moment neither of them spoke. The faint whir of the light bulb in the ceiling filled the room. Jackman surveyed Tom. Earlier he’d watched him struggle to fold his gangly frame into the chair. The photo Jackman had been shown of Min indicated a petite young woman. The contrast between Min’s shape and Tom’s might have seemed comical in other circumstances.
    Jackman rolled his shoulders. “I understand you had an argument with Min before she went missing. What was it about?”
    Tom was quiet for the shortest of seconds. He cleared his throat. “Her parents. They are coming over in June when we break up. I wanted to meet them, but she doesn’t want to introduce me.” Tom grimaced. “I guess I was being a bit unreasonable. She’s an only child and her parents have high expectations for her career.” He cut off awkwardly.
    “And those expectations don’t include a boyfriend?”
    Tom shook his head. “She’s worried that if they find out she’s seeing someone they’ll take her back home. Put an end to her studies, her life in England.”
    “How did you leave it?”
    “She got angry, dug her heels in. I’d been drinking. Not too much, but enough to engage mouth before head. I told her if she couldn’t be bothered to tell her parents, even to introduce me as a friend, then it was over.”
    “Was she upset?”
    “A bit. More angry. She got up, screamed something at me in Chinese and stormed out. Actually, it was kind of embarrassing. The whole pub turned to look at me.”
    “And you let her go? A young woman? To walk through the streets of Stratford on her own?”
    Tom peered up beneath hooded eyes. “It was my birthday. I thought she was testing me. That she’d gone outside to cool down, to see if I went after her. I really thought she’d come back after a few minutes.”
    “And she didn’t?”
    Tom’s face folded. When he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper. “No.”
    “Is there anywhere she might have gone? To calm down, maybe?”
    “The other officer asked me that. We’ve called everyone.”
    “How much had she drunk?”
    He shrugged. “She doesn’t drink much. She certainly wasn’t drunk if that’s what you’re implying.”
    Jackman narrowed his eyes. “Okay. What about money?”
    “She has an account. Her parents give her an allowance, but it’s not huge.”
    “Is there anyone she might have upset recently?”
    “No.” He sat up in his chair. “She’s just a sweet girl. A little strong-headed, but nice. She’s popular at the college.”
    Jackman stood. “I’ll need names of all her associates both inside and outside the college, all her close friends, and everybody that was at your party last night. DC Keane will take a note of them.” He moved towards the door. Just as his fingers touched the handle he turned back, “Tom, as far as we are aware, you are the last person who saw Min last night. Please think very carefully about her recent behaviour and her actions at the pub. If anything comes to mind, however insignificant it might appear, I urge you to give me a call.” He crossed back towards him, dug his hand in his pocket and produced a business card.
    “What do you mean?” Tom asked.
    “Anything. Perhaps someone she has spoken to recently, an odd phone call, a strange place she has visited, an unusual email or text message, something out of the ordinary. I need to know everything.”

    Jackman rubbed his fingers down the shadow of stubble forming at the side of his chin as he wound up his briefing. “Let’s think this one through,” he said. While he’d been busy interviewing the boyfriend and meeting the press, Davies had made a reasonable attempt at turning the only empty office in the building into a makeshift