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working hours. And hardly at all during them.'
    I'm not sure I believe you, Webb thought. The man was quite presentable, and Arlette herself much sought after. It would be natural for them to come together. Yet he couldn't probe further in the face of such firm denial. Not yet, anyway. He tried another tack.
    'Where were you, sir, between ten a.m. and two p.m. on Tuesday?'
    The flush deepened. 'Why?'
    'Because that's the time we're interested in.'
    'As it happens, I'd a dental appointment at eleven.' He looked at them belligerently. 'If I'd known she was going missing, I'd have changed it.'
    'And your dentist is—?'
    For a moment, Webb thought he'd refuse to reply. But he sullenly gave name and address.
    'And you came straight back here afterwards?'
    'No. The surgery's not far from where I live, so I went home for lunch. As my wife will verify.'
    Jackson marvelled that anyone could still think a wife's evidence would exonerate him.
    'So what time did you get back, sir?'
    'About two. I'd a tutorial at two-fifteen.'
    Webb nodded without comment. 'Did Miss Picard mention being homesick, or any family worries?'
    'Certainly not to me.'
    Webb felt the wall of the man's resistance. Was it merely a clash of personalities, or had he something to hide? He said easily and with no inflection of irony, 'Thank you very much for your time, Mr Duncan. You've been most helpful.'
    'Like a stone giving blood,' added Jackson, as the door closed behind them.
    'Not everyone appreciates us, Ken. A policeman's lot, and all that.'
    'If you ask me he's been having it off with her. See how red he went?'
    'Let's not jump to conclusions. If we need to come back, we will, never fear.'
    Arnold Lightbody was a different proposition. In his late forties, he wore thick pebble spectacles. He had tufts of straw-like hair round the sides of his head, but his high forehead stretched back as far as his crown. He smiled continually, showing yellow teeth.
    'Well now, gentlemen,' he began, before Webb could say anything, 'you're worried about our little Arlette. So are we all.'
    'I'll be grateful for anything you can tell us, sir.' 'A charming girl. Most attractive, if you understand me. And very popular.' 'With women too?'
    Lightbody smirked. 'Now that you ask me,' he said coyly, 'I should say the young ladies are less enthusiastic. Possibly because she has the male population eating out of her hand.'
    'Including you, Dr Lightbody?'
    Lightbody laughed merrily, stopping when the policemen remained serious. 'I'm a little old for that kind of thing, Inspector. No, I was referring to postgraduates. Her contemporaries.'
    'And the other tutors?'
    'Dear me, I never thought of that. I suppose it's possible.'
    While appearing to give them full cooperation, Lightbody told them very little. He had apparently been on campus throughout the crucial time on Tuesday. Like Duncan, he claimed surprise that Arlette should have spoken of him.
    Somewhat dispiritedly, the policemen made their way outside and stood for a moment looking about them. Ahead of them was the administrative building, and beyond it, grassy banks sloped fairly steeply down to the river. On the opposite bank, the old town basked in the spring sunshine, its Cotswold stone glowing cream and gold.
    'Do these kids know how lucky they are?' Jackson asked rhetorically. 'A bit different from Leyton Road Grammar! I never knew what I was missing.' He turned to Webb with a grin, his envy vanishing. 'Mind, I know what I'm missing now, and that's food! Any good pubs hereabouts, Guv?'
    'I think we'll try the Barley Mow. It's that grain barge moored on the quayside. All the young bloods frequent it —we might learn something to our advantage. Look,' he added, 'there's Sergeant Hopkins. Let's have a quick word.'
    The gloomy-faced sergeant, with a young constable beside him, had just emerged from the faculty building and turned towards the car park. Webb and Jackson quickened their footsteps to catch up with them.
    'Good morning,