‘She arrived to stay with me on Tuesday. She was meant to be coming back on Saturday evening.’ Francesca spoke again for her sister.

‘We need to hear it from Mrs Wade.’ Barrett narrowed his eyes at the sister whose lips went into a thin line.

‘Frankie couldn’t be with us for Christmas. Her husband is sick, he has Parkinson’s disease.’ Veronica spoke with a croaky voice. ‘I wanted to spend some time with them. I should have been coming back here on the fourteenth, not today. I wasn’t supposed to come home today.’ Her misery was tangible.

‘So you left your house in Balsham on…’ Barrett did some quick sums in his head. ‘On the tenth?’

‘Yes.’

‘At what time?’

‘Mid-morning. I said goodbye to Dennis as he left for work and then I packed and got ready to go.’

‘What time did you arrive in Yoxter?’ Barrett checked his notes.

‘Probably around two.’ Veronica dabbed her eyes again, her heavy mascara leaving trails across her cheeks.

‘And you can verify this?’ He turned to Francesca.

‘I certainly can.’ Her words were clipped. She had not liked it one little bit being silenced by him earlier.

‘And on Thursday evening did you go out anywhere?’

Veronica looked over at her sister.

‘No, we had dinner at home,’ Francesca confirmed.

‘And you were at your sister’s house all night?’

‘Why yes.’ Veronica looked perplexed.

‘You can confirm that?’ Palmer asked looking over at Francesca.

‘I most certainly can. We may live in the countryside, but I always lock the house up before going to bed. Only my husband and I have access to the key.’

‘Right.’ Palmer nodded at Barrett.

‘Mrs Wade, can you tell me what sort of state of mind your husband was in on the Tuesday morning?’ He closed his notes and cocked his head.

‘Normal. He was just Dennis. He fed the cat…’ She then paused. ‘Oh, who is taking care of Cookie?’ It dawned on Veronica that her beloved cat was all alone.

‘We will take you home after the interview, Mrs Wade.’ Barrett didn’t like cats. ‘You say your husband was normal, himself?’

‘Yes. It was just a normal morning. Nothing unusual.’

‘Did Mr Wade have anything he was worried about?’

‘Well no. He always worried about the shop, he loved that place, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. He was fine.’

Barrett examined her response closely. ‘Any financial worries?’

‘No. None.’ The woman was clearly offended by the question.

‘Did he have any enemies? Anyone he had fallen out with?’

‘No, for God’s sake no. He was a good man. The best.’ She buried her face in her hands.

‘My sister has answered your questions. She needs to go home and contact her son.’ Francesca rubbed her sister’s back.

Palmer and Barrett gave each other a look and then both nodded, allowing Francesca to stand and help her sister out of her chair.