Kelly watched the taped interviews with Emily Wilson’s husband and Mike Hudson’s wife. It was harrowing viewing. After her years of experience on the force, interrogating witnesses – some serious dead certs, others mere question marks – she knew sincerity when she saw it. The psychologist agreed. Emily Wilson’s husband had three children under the age of six to look after, and he was like a man lost inside a hell of pain and never-ending torment. His eyes were red and puffy, he looked thin and undernourished, and he was unkempt. They had stock photos to compare, and he was a shadow of his former self. He was adamant that his wife had not been having an affair with Mike Hudson, but they’d worked that out already. Whoever had staged the scene had bought time and that was all.

Mike Hudson’s wife had two teenagers. Kelly remembered her own teenage years, and how, no matter how bad the rebellion and the angst, every teenager deep down needed a loving parent. Just one would do, but these kids clearly used to have two, and now they didn’t. Mike’s wife was equally dismissive of the idea of a torrid love affair. Both Emily and Mike had been in happy marriages, albeit with their usual dramas and dips. The squash club came up again, and Kelly and Matt agreed that it was undoubtedly a code for whatever was being researched in the garage.

Neither spouse knew about the garage and what went on there.

Kelly and Matt were also coming to the conclusion that the organisation of the murder was fairly sloppy. Not forensically, but the obvious staging and effort involved indicated that several people had been involved, and they both knew that when you had a crew of criminals, they were rarely loyal. It was just a matter of finding them. They were desperate to follow up on the white van lead spotted at George’s house. It was the strongest suggestion of foul play and they needed to rule it in or out.

They sat in the staff café at Ravensword and spoke quietly. It had been a long morning, but HOLMES had been updated a total of seventeen times, and that was promising progress. Matt explained that a lot of their work in murder inquiries increasingly involved checking CCTV, and Kelly told him of her frustration at the lack of it in Cumbria. No one installed CCTV on country lanes. Matt said he’d have to come and check her operation out one day. Kelly changed the subject.