But they weren’t bailiffs, after all, just the police again. The first face he saw he recognized immediately, and it reminded him that there were vitally important things he ought to have done, but hadn’t. He had watched the police cars and vans go backwards and forwards across his land, cursing each one as they went, yet desperate to know what they were doing up on the moor, to hear what they had found out about the woman who had died. He longed for someone to tell him what was going on. Yet now these policemen had arrived, he didn’t know what to do, except to tell them he had nothing to say.

‘Detective Constable Cooper and Detective Constable Weenink, Mr Leach. We just need a few words, that’s all. We won’t keep you from your work long. We know how busy you farmers always are.’

The one who spoke tried a smile. Leach refused to be impressed. ‘Cut the crap. I see enough of it round here.’

‘If that’s the way you want it.’

Leach looked at the other one, the big one in the leather jacket, and felt a small measure of his old confidence starting to return. ‘What have they sent you two for? Ranger scared to come here any more, is he? Thought he needed to send in the heavy mob? You won’t get anything out of me, anyway.’

‘We’re collecting information about vehicles seen in this area on Sunday,’ said Weenink, staring at the farmer.

‘Are you now? But they’ve asked me about this before.’

‘We’re following up a report on a van that was noticed leaving your farm entrance between two and three o’clock that day. Was that your van?’

‘Does it look as though I’ve got a van? A Land Rover, but that’s knackered. Otherwise it’s a tractor or the back of a cow if I want to get about.’

‘Does that mean I can put you down as “does not own a van”?’

‘If you like.’

‘The witness said it was a white van, but not very clean. Probably a Ford Transit.’

‘Lots of those about.’

‘Do you recall seeing this van?’ asked Cooper. ‘Did it belong to a visitor to the farm?’

‘I don’t get many visitors here.’

‘But that afternoon you did, didn’t you?’

‘Not that I remember.’

‘Could it have been a sales rep? An agricultural engineer? Something like that?’

‘Can’t afford to speak to either of ’em at the moment.’

‘A parcel delivery?’

‘You’re joking.’

‘Do you know anybody with a van of that description?’