Melanie smiled. ‘I take it you don’t have kids of your own, Inspector? If Daniel so much as turns over in bed I hear him. And he’s in another room.’

Clare laughed. ‘Good point. It would take an earthquake to waken me. So, you believe Mr Christie stayed all night in the room with you?’

‘Yeah. There was an en suite off the bedroom so he might have used that, but the main bedroom door creaks. I’d definitely have heard it.’

Chris stopped writing and looked up. ‘Melanie, what about the other women – did you know them?’

‘No. I’ve done a few jobs now but never seen anyone I know.’

‘So, none of the other nursery mums?’

Melanie shook her head.

‘How many were there of you?’ Clare asked.

‘Five,’ she said.

‘Anyone else in the minibus?’

‘Just the driver. Skinny woman, dark hair, scraped back.’

Samantha Reynolds, Clare thought. ‘You’re sure there was no one else in the minibus? Behind the back row of seats, perhaps?’

‘Definitely not. I was near the back. I’d have noticed.’

‘Okay, Melanie. And did any of the others stay the night?’

‘Don’t think so,’ she said. ‘I didn’t see them at breakfast. We were in Steve’s room by the time the minibus was leaving. One of the girls tapped the door but Steve shouted back he’d get me a taxi.’

Clare reached into a folder on the desk and withdrew photos of Russell Fox and his three friends. She laid these out on the table in front of Melanie. ‘Do any of these men look familiar?’

Melanie moved each photo in front of her in turn, nodding. ‘This is Steve,’ she said, indicating the photo of Steve Christie. She looked up. ‘He was lovely, you know. Kind.’ Then she turned back to the other photos and identified Russell, Eamon and Doug.

Clare put the photos back in the folder. ‘Was there anyone else in the house? Apart from you ladies and the four men?’

Melanie sat back thinking. ‘No,’ she said. ‘I don’t think so. It’s a huge house but I didn’t see anyone else. There was a security guard at the gate – I think one of the girls went out to… well, you know, went out to be with him.’

‘What time was that?’

She wrinkled her brow then said, ‘Eleven-ish, I think.’

‘No one else?’

‘Nope. I mean nobody doing the cooking or anything like that. There was loads of food but it was all takeaway. Rubbish, really. All fattening stuff. And I’d had my tea with Daniel before I went out.’

‘And how did you spend the evening?’

Melanie shrugged. ‘Didn’t do much, to be honest. Had a few drinks, bit of dancing.’

‘And then?’

Melanie’s face reddened. ‘Steve suggested we take a bottle up to his room.’

‘And did you come down again during the evening?’