Kessen gritted his teeth. ‘None. As far as we know, the only eyewitness was Thomas Farnham.’

‘I understand the former owner of the farm is still alive?’

‘Yes, Mr Sutton. But he’s very elderly, and borderline senile. So far, we haven’t been able to obtain much useful information from him.’

‘Push him harder,’ said Branagh.

‘We can do that, but …’

‘Good. And there’s a suspect still in custody, I believe.’

‘Oh, yes,’ said Kessen. ‘Jack Elder.’

‘And what’s the position on Mr Elder?’

‘The CPS say we have enough evidence to charge him with some minor offences, but there’s nothing to substantiate anything more serious.’

‘Let’s go for a charge, then, and release him.’ Branagh looked around the room. ‘And then perhaps DC Murfin can suggest a few new lines of enquiry. From what I’ve heard, he seems like an officer with some unusual ideas.’

‘Thank you, ma’am,’ said Murfin.

‘It wasn’t meant as a compliment.’

The CID room was quiet without Diane Fry. Particularly hushed after the first meeting with Superintendent Branagh. But Murfin wasn’t going to be kept quiet for long.

‘Actually, I have got a theory, Ben,’ he said suddenly.

‘Oh? I hope you’re not going to try showing off for the new Super, Gavin. I’d be careful, mate.’

‘It’s about this Raymond Sutton bloke,’ said Murfin, waving aside Cooper’s advice. ‘He sounds like a bit of a Holy Joe, right?’

‘Yes, I suppose so.’

‘Do you think he could have killed the woman in some drug-crazed religious ritual that went wrong?’

‘Raymond Sutton is a Methodist,’ said Cooper. ‘From what I’ve heard, Methodists don’t drink or swear, or take drugs.’

‘Or fart, I suppose,’ said Murfin.

‘Sceptical, Gavin?’

‘In my experience, every bugger in the world has the same evil thoughts and dirty habits. Some just pretend they don’t.’

Cooper laughed. Methodism made him think of the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the temperance movement. Apart from that, they were a bit of an alien sect, with mysterious ways of behaving.

Thinking of mysterious behaviour, he had to admit it was a bit strange for DCI Kessen to confine Fry to mispers, then suddenly decide to send her to Ireland. But he was sure it didn’t mean anything sinister. Fry was being too thin-skinned. He supposed it came with the keenness of her ambition. Not the slightest little thing should get in her way. Not a hint of being passed over or left out when something was happening.

Murfin answered the phone, disappeared for a few minutes, then came back into the room.

‘You haven’t been presenting your new theory, have you, Gavin?’ said Cooper.

‘I decided it needed a bit more work. No, there’s a girl in reception. She says she’s David Palfreyman’s granddaughter.’

‘Really? What is she like?’