‘Doubtful. I can’t see that a beautiful, young model would see much in a skinny anorak who spends his nights with a telescope, can you?’

‘I’ve been thinking that there could be a tenuous connection.’

Joseph’s eyes narrowed. ‘Tell me.’

‘Frankie Doyle.’ Nikki found even saying the name difficult. ‘Lisa Jane knew her, they were the same age, and Archie told us that they lived quite close when they were kids. Kerry knew her. Her parents said they went to the same school. Ergo, Kris may know her too.’

‘But that doesn’t mean that Kris would also know Lisa Jane?’

Nikki pulled a face. ‘I said it was tenuous.’

Before Joseph could answer her, the radio crackled into life and they heard her call sign.

‘DI Galena. Over.’

‘Ma’am. It’s Sergeant Jack Conway. What’s your position, please?’

‘Siltmarsh Lane, on route to Barnby Eaudyke.’

‘We’ve had a call from the farmer who owns Amber Drove Farmhouse. He’s reported finding the body of an IC1 female in one of his barns. Can you attend?’

Nikki stiffened. ‘On our way, Sergeant. ETA two minutes.’ She floored the accelerator.

Amber Drove Farmhouse was an imposing stone building with a collection of massive barns and numerous outbuildings and greenhouses. The whole place was meticulously neat, and reeked of old money.

As Nikki parked close to a stable block, the farmer hurried out to meet them. As she got out of the car, she noticed the pale face of a woman, probably the man’s wife, staring at them from a downstairs window of the house. From the look on her face, finding bodies was clearly not in the country diary for a Tuesday afternoon.

Nikki flashed her warrant card and made the briefest of introductions.

The farmer was a big, broad-shouldered, florid faced man, ‘I’m Nigel Grieves. God, you got here quickly! I only rang 999 a few minutes ago!’

‘Has this area been checked by the search parties yet?’ asked Nikki.

‘No, although I had a call yesterday to ask me to look in all my outbuildings. Which I did, but somehow I forgot the lower barn. It’s just a shell, and it’s so inaccessible that I left it until last, then I got sidetracked.’ The man looked apologetic. ‘I’m sorry, but running all this can be pretty demanding.’

‘So where is she, Mr Grieves? Can you take us to her?’

‘Of course. This way, Inspector.’ The man moved off towards the stable. ‘Know how to ride one of these?’ He pointed to two quad bikes that sat on the edge of the field.

‘No problem.’ said Joseph.

‘Then you take that one, and follow us.’ He jumped on the first bike and switched it on. ‘Hope you don’t mind riding pillion, Inspector.’ He patted the seat. ‘But it’s the fastest way to get out there.’

‘Out where?’ shouted Nikki over the noise of the engine.