She sat stiffly on a plastic chair opposite the reception desk, waiting for Barrett to call her in. Alfred was perched beside her, holding her hand. The couple, who were both close to pension age, looked very out of place. Neither had yet heard that another body had been discovered, let alone that the body belonged to Janet Cox.

Barrett arrived with his sleeves rolled up, followed by Palmer, and ushered the nervous couple out of reception and towards an interview room. His manner was cooler than it had been previously, and Marion and Alfred both noticed the difference.

‘Tea?’ Barrett asked, out of habit rather than politeness.

‘Not for me.’ Marion had to stop herself from calling him pet. Alfred shook his head and the four of them took their seats in the small, stuffy room.

‘You have no windows in here,’ Alfred commented, looking around at the pale blue walls.

‘Very observant, Mr Bolton.’ Barrett was not in the mood for small talk, and he made sure the people sitting opposite him knew that. Alfred, who looked somewhat put out, folded his arms across his chest and looked to his wife.

‘You are not under arrest.’ Palmer did his best to make Marion feel at home. He appreciated his boss’s desire to get to the truth, but couldn’t abide some of his methods.

‘We need to know everything you know about Toni Jones, Mrs Bolton.’ He fixed the aging woman with a stare. ‘Absolutely everything.’

‘I’ve told you all about the night she went missing.’ Marion looked decidedly distressed.

‘I’m interested in some details about her personal life,’ Barrett said, noticing the look that passed between the husband and wife. Still, Marion sat in silence.

‘Are you aware that another body has been discovered in the city this morning?’

Their reaction suggested they were not aware, and that this was the first time they had heard the news.

‘The recent victim has links to Toni Jones.’ Barrett wasn’t ready to name Janet until the identification had been confirmed and the next of kin had been informed.

‘Oh!’ Marion’s wrinkled hand went up to her quivering lip. ‘Who?’

‘I am not at liberty to divulge that information at this time.’ Barrett wore his best poker face. ‘I would like to ask you again about the reputed affair Toni Jones had.’

Marion’s face stiffened, and beneath the table her husband’s hand found her knee and rested there.

‘We have reason to believe that the personal life of the victim may be linked to the motive for her murder. I urge you,’ he leant across the table, softening his tone, ‘to tell me anything you know.’

Still, Marion remained tight-lipped, although Barrett couldn’t tell if she was being bloody-minded or she was frightened.

‘Mrs Bolton.’ It was Palmer’s turn to have a go at breaking her down. ‘You will not be in trouble.’