As they walked through the house, Sebastian regaled Graeme with snippets of family history and stories of how certain priceless artworks had got here from all over the world. He never mentioned his grandfather unless it was to repeat a valuation or an opinion. There was no affection, no memories and no stories of a blissful childhood spent swimming in the lake.

‘Did you come here as a child?’ Graeme asked. They’d finished downstairs and Sebastian was taking him up the grand double staircase.

‘I was sent off to boarding school at the age of five. Grandfather preferred older children who could understand facts and figures. He invited me a lot later on, but by then, my tastes had changed.’

‘How many guests will you be able to accommodate?’

‘I’m thinking intimacy: probably twenty-five maximum. They’ll be paying in the region of a thousand a night, so that’ll do.’

‘Nice.’

‘Pocket money.’

Graeme had never been near money like that, and it made him uneasy.

‘How did you know George Murphy?’ he asked. It was an innocent enough question, but Sebastian’s demeanour changed.

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘The man who was staying here; the guy who—’

‘I know who you mean. What type of question is that?’

Graeme could see that he’d offended Sebastian, but he didn’t know how.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just that I didn’t see him around. No one knew he was here. If any of us had realised he was staying, we could have kept an eye on him. It’s a close community. That’s what your guests will love.’

‘I’m not sure you follow my idea. My guests won’t be little Englanders looking for a twee boat ride over to get an ice cream; they’ll have impeccable standards and will be expecting the best. In everything.’

‘Of course. There are many exclusive resorts in the Lakes, and I’m sure yours will be one of the finest. I know everybody you need to make your dream come true. The most important feature is the privacy. You can give them anything they want.’

‘Quite.’

Graeme had managed to calm his host down and dared to breathe easier for now. They carried on with the tour. He wouldn’t mention the murder victim again. But Sebastian did.

‘What do you know about George? What are people saying? I know they talk. What am I up against?’

Graeme thought very carefully about his response. It could be instrumental in him landing a lucrative position here at Allerdale House. He certainly wasn’t about to tell Sebastian about his particularly intimate knowledge of the crime, or his relationship with the detective in charge. He was in a precarious yet oddly satisfying position.

‘Very little. People are saying that it was a bungled robbery. Wrong place, wrong time. Poor man.’ He lied easily.

‘Quite.’