Usually, given how out of the way the house was, guests tended to drive, but the family had said they were coming by train, and had asked Rufus to arrange a taxi to pick them up, which he had done.

Logan presented the train tickets and taxi receipt in an evidence bag, and confirmed that they corroborated the owner’s story.

“Did he meet them in person?” asked Ben.

“Apparently not, no.”

Hamza’s head raised from where he had been looking at his notes. “He said that? He didn’t make contact?” he asked. “Because the cleaner, Magdalena, she told me he always goes to meet new guests when they arrive. She was sure he’d have popped in to see them.”

“Aye? He was adamant he hadn’t been to visit,” Logan said. “Worth us double-checking, though. If he’s lying about that, no saying what else he’s lying about.”

Sinead started writing on an orange Post-It. “But at the moment he’s claiming no face to face contact at all?”

“That’s his story at the moment,” Logan replied, and Sinead slapped a note saying as much onto the Big Board.

There was still a lot they didn’t know, the DCI explained, although this early in the investigation nobody had been expecting it to be any other way. Cause of death was almost certainly the stabbings, and he had Sinead make particular note of the accuracy with which the wounds had been inflicted.

Time of death was still up in the air, and they’d need Shona to give them a clearer indication. Two or three nights ago, maybe, but no point putting it on the board until they had something more concrete.

He mentioned the indents on the bedroom carpet. He’d asked the cottage owner about them, but he’d been none the wiser. Sometimes, guests took the TV upstairs, he’d said, and he’d been visibly annoyed at the thought of it. Maybe it was that?

Logan had gone back inside to check the TV and the unit it stood on in the living room, but neither had come close to matching the marks on the floor.

“You said it might have been months old, though, didn’t you, boss?”

Logan confirmed that, aye, that might well have been the case. It probably was, in fact, given that all the available evidence disproved the theory he’d come up with for what the indents were.

“How do you mean?” asked Ben. “What are they?”

“Could be wrong, but… it’s a bedroom,” Logan said. “So, I’m thinking travel cot. One of them collapsible ones.”

There was some general murmuring of agreement that this made sense.